For Play
by fruor
Summary: [AU] All Yugi wanted was to gain his freedom. All Atemu wanted was a good entertainment. All chance wanted was for them to meet and a circus was more than willing to help. YYY.
1. I : The Greatest Show in the World

**For Play**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** (AU) All Yugi wanted was to gain his freedom. All Atemu wanted was a good entertainment. All chance wanted was for them to meet and a circus was more than willing to help. YYY.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance

**Pairings:** (main) YYY, (sub) BR, SJ, MM

**Disclaimer:** I play the card game…with my nine-year-old brother. Other than the wins and the cards, I own nothing or Yugi won't be going around saving the world. They'll be happily lounging in each other's presence.

**Note:** I just can't get this idea out of my head! So I _had_ to write it. Originally, the story plan was about the clash of two worlds: one that's advancing in technology, while the other in magic and Yugi, who comes from the first world, accidentally stumbles into the other but it sounded too cliché and I didn't have enough plot bunnies to back it up. And then, I saw my extremely heavy and costly script write of Mirror Mask (by Neil Gaiman) and voila! In came the circus! AND IT JUST FRICKIN' FITS! Like snap! It was there, flashing before my eyes like a vision. XDXDXD

* * *

**I. The Greatest Show in the World**

"Three tickets, please."

A jingle of coins bounced off the wooden counter. Soft pale hands quickly moved the money into the drawer beneath the table, grabbing three stubs of orange paper from the rolls of tickets near his elbow. With a smile, he pushed the tickets to the customer and said, "Thank you for buying! You'll definitely enjoy the show!"

The man blinked, staring at the tri-colored hair of the teen. He shrugged, ignoring the queerly dress young man who gave them the tickets. He muttered a barely audible "thanks" and turned to his wife and child, handing them the stubs he just bought. The child squealed in delight. She grabbed her parents' hands and dragged them to the long line formed at the entrance of the tent.

The money came and the tickets were bought. The cashier greeted each of the customers with the same enthusiasm. He glanced at the far end of the line and sighed. This was their best show yet. The people were lining up like crazy!

"Yugi?" A snow white head popped from behind the roughly drawn curtains that separated the selling stand from the main tent. The person went in, pulling along his long glittery silver cloak. He tugged at the strings on his arms and waist, pulling his cloak closer to the purple and gold silk tunic of his costume.

The teen glanced at the person who entered, "Oh, Ryou! You've got your costume already!" he beamed then turned back to the customer with the same bright smile, "Enjoy the show!"

"You should get out of those work clothes as well." Ryou returned the smile and then bowed slightly to the customer Yugi was serving. "You should get to the back of the stages. They're assembling the animals. They'll need you there." He placed a hand on the young boy's shoulder, "I'll take over here."

Yugi looked down on his front. He was wearing a simple worn-out green tunic and loose mud-brown trousers and shrugged. He'll wear his costume later. He turned back to the waiting customer and smiled. "But weren't you practicing your magic show?" He called to Ryou as he handed a handful of tickets to the plump lady in front of him. He smiled in amusement as he saw the little toddlers clinging to the woman's clothes, pouting with perfect puppy-dog eyes.

The young albino shook his head, "No, don't worry about that. I've practiced enough. Besides, who knows what kind of danger _they'll_ get into without you calming the beasts!" he pulled Yugi out of the chair and sat quickly on the stool, passing the tickets to the next customer.

Yugi sighed, "Okay. I'll get going then." He stretched his arms backwards, tapping his back softly. Sitting on a stool and smiling for hours was starting to make his back fall asleep. "Thanks, Ryou!" he waved at the albino, who acknowledged him with one nod.

"I better get going then." Yugi whispered to himself, "I hope Jou and Honda don't get in trouble with the horses."

He was Yugi Mutou, a young man of 18 though most people would think 14. He was the Beast Tamer – oh, he would never use "master", the animals were his friends! – of the troupe. It was his job to make sure the wild animals behave. And they were surely wild. The ringmaster would never purchase a tamed animal. He'd rather have them "freshly caught".

"YUGI! YUUUUUGGIIIIII!"

"Jou…?" The loud and whining voice was muffled by the layers of cloth that made the backstage. An earth-shaking roar followed the scream, making Yugi jumped in surprise. He soon heard a couple of high-pitch screams – _Must be Anzu and Mai…._ – and another one of Jounouchi's calls of his name. Yugi quickened his pace, almost tripping over his nearly tangled legs.

Yugi turned to his left, eyes widening at the sight before him.

"YUGIII! HELP MEEEEEE!" Jounouchi wailed, his voice painted with panic. A long red slimy tongue was wrapped around his left leg, waving him the air like some little toy – and with the colorful and bright clothes he sported and his half-painted face made him look like a clown doll played by a…hydra?

"Put him down, Hera!" Yugi rushed to past the crowd of performers screaming at the both the serpent and Jou. With his small stature, he easily squeezed through the mob. He climbed over the remains of the fence where the horses were supposed to be and rushed to the wild beast.

He ducked the heads that swung across the air, snapping at anyone who came near, and ran straight towards the beast's stomach…or at least where he _thought_ the stomach was…and started stroking the scales softly.

The once restless hydra grew calm. She slithered around Yugi, throwing Jou across the ground in favor of the pleasurable strokes of her tamer.

"Sshh…now, why did you attack Jou that way?" Yugi whispered in a soothing voice, "Jou is _our_ friend." He scolded, flicking a finger at the snout of the nearest head. "Now go back to your cage and _behave_!"

The seven-headed snake flicked her tongue on the teen's cheek in what seemed to be an affectionate gesture. She turned one of her heads to Jou and hissed before crawling to the back of the tents and into her cage. She curled into a small coil and went to sleep as though nothing happened.

Yugi sighed. He turned to the dispersing crowd and scanned for his friend Jou. "What did you do now?" he placed his hands on his hips in an attempt to be intimidating but only looking cute, "Hera doesn't go crazy for now reason. Especially on you, Jou!"

"He couldn't get the horses to move so he used that 20-foot snake to scare away the horses." Anzu raised a brow and crossed her arms. She crouched down, letting the long sash across her waist flow around her like a skirt, overlapping the glittering tights that covered her body. "And for what? A little adventure? You should've waited for Yugi to come!" she slapped the blonde teen's head lightly.

Jounouchi frowned though it was barely noticeable with his colorfully painted face, "But we don't need Yug to always take care of them horses! I was only trying to help!" He ran a hand through his hair and pushed himself up, only to fall back again as a surge of pain trickled his spine.

"Hmm, that's nice of you to say." Mai appeared behind Yugi, wearing the same clothes as Anzu only that the colors complimented the said teen's own. "But if you really need a rush of excitement, we could always include you in our trapeze act." She winked at Anzu and the two girls started laughing.

The jester shook his head, "No way! I'm happy with my sweet, solid ground!" he kissed the earth generously as to prove his point, gaining a few more laughs from the girls and Yugi.

"But really, Jou, leave the animals to me. I know you're trying to help but I don't want you getting hurt like that again." Yugi extended a helping hand which was accepted with gratitude, "I'll fix the horses while you guys get everyone ready for the opening act, okay?"

"Okay!" The three gave the short teen a thumbs-up and then went to their respective jobs.

"You get dressed as well, Yugi." Anzu waved at the short teen before following Mai to the dressing tent.

Yugi waved back then turned to the horses, sighing, _Maybe I should get all the animals to recognize Jou's scent or something. He always seems to get in trouble with them._ He smiled as he approached the well-decorated horses with their saddles of sequins and feather headdresses. He rubbed the noses and necks of each horse, telling them to behave properly.

He looked up at the sky, looking at the soft glare of the sun behind the clouds. With one sigh, he rushed to the tents, muttering, "Better get ready now."

Anzu and Mai were trapeze performers though they sometimes performed dances if the ringmaster decided a different routine. Otogi would usually be part of their trapeze routine – he refused to participate in any of the dances. Jou, on the other hand, was the clown of the group with Honda as his partner…though they preferred to be called "jesters" instead, saying that they do not enjoy throwing pies at each other…pies that they'd rather eat.

Pushing the curtains away, Yugi entered his dressing room. His fingers brushed the leather gloves and silver chains that made-up his costume as he made his way to the mirror. Though his animals would never purposely hurt him, not all of them could retract their claws like the tigers and cats do. His only protection from them were the thick leather that his wardrobe consisted most of.

He untied the knot of his trousers then pushed the brown cloth of his legs when—

"Hey, did you see my knives?"

Yugi jumped in surprise, his legs getting tangled with his trousers. He fell down on the ground with one soft thud. With a bit of difficulty, he turned his head to the voice, "Oh. Malik." _Of course. Who else would enter dressing rooms without as much as warning looking for knives?_ "No, I didn't see them anywhere."

Pale lavender eyes blinked, "You do know that you're lying upside-down half-naked, right?"

The once creamy white skin turned into a deep crimson. The short teen scrambled to sit up right, pulling his tunic down to his knees. Though his underwear covered his privates, he was still considered half-naked. "B-b-but you startled me! I was about to change when you came and I…uh…I fell." He bowed his head down in embarrassment.

A creepy laugh reached Yugi's ears. "Just kidding, Yugi." Malik closed the curtains behind him. He pulled the ends of the long red sash across his waist as he started to open every chest in sight, "Hey, did my favorite knife happen to sneak in here?" he peeked behind the trunk where most of Yugi's clothes lay.

Yugi shook his head, watching Malik's every move, noting the multiple array of knives and dagger tucked behind the sash that served as a belt for the creamy trousers of his friend. "No. I don't think they're here. Maybe you didn't lose them at all?" he offered, hoping that the knife master would soon leave his room.

Malik stood up straight, smoothing the slightly crumpled lavender vest that was placed over his long sleeved tunic that matched the color of his pants. He checked the little daggers that were hidden inside the thick leather braces around his wrist. He turned his head around, the necklace of daggers jingling as he did, and counted the knives behind his back. Lifting his black clad soles, he pulled up his trousers and counted the knives bound to his ankle with leather braces similar to that on his wrist.

"Where else…?" he whispered softly to himself, completely oblivious to the jaw-dropped beast master on the floor. "Ah, yes! Just one more!" His eyes lit up in joy as he sent a hand to the back of his neck, pushing his pale blonde hair to reveal the long knife held to his neck by the leather choker he was wearing…or at least there was supposed to be one.

"Oh…so you really are missing one." Yugi managed to say as he collected his jaw from the ground. _I knew Malik had a lot of knives but I never knew he carried around_ this _much._

"Yeah! And it was my favorite one!" A deep scowl appeared on the young man's face. "Anyway, I should let you get dressed already. The show will be starting soon. As much as I won't mind, I don't think a half-naked beast master would get us some moola. Maybe if it was the upper half instead?"

"MALIK!" Yugi pouted, his face going redder than it had been before.

The knife master laughed. He gave a sultry wave to the short teen before leaving the other to dress. Outside, he screamed, "HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO PERFORM IF I DON'T HAVE MY _FAVORITE_ KNIFE!" Not that it mattered since his "favorite knife" changes every time he gains a new one.

With yet another sigh for the day, Yugi stood up, placing his trousers on the table under the mirror. He grabbed his leather pants and put them on with little difficulty. He slipped on his think leather shoes, pulled the straps so that it clung to his leg like the pants did.

He pulled off his worn-out tunic and grabbed a black long-sleeved one that seemed to shine in the light. His leather vest was strapped onto his chest with silver chains along with the leather gloves on each hand, protecting both his pale hands and half of his arms. A thick coat of, yet again, leather was placed over shoulders and head, covering his unique hairstyle. A mask was placed across his eyes, almost covering his beautiful violet orbs.

His eyes wandered to the leather whip on the chest and sighed. He _never_ used force on his animals but the ringmaster wanted him to _look_ like the typical beast master so he ordered him to carry a whip even if he would never use it.

"Nothing I can do about that." He grabbed the black coil and clipped it to the silver chain hanging around his waist.

A loud chorus of trumpets and drums called the young beast master to his senses. Yugi grew pale in panic. He quickly pushed away the curtains and ran through the tents until he reached the clustered group of performers. He squeezed his way through the crowd, to the pair of chimaeras that no one wanted to go near to. With one flick of his wrist, he released the chains that held the beasts to their places, earning a couple of nuzzles for his actions.

Another loud chorus of trumpets signaled the performers to get ready.

With a whisper of assurance, Yugi took led the beasts in the line, his heart beating faster as the line started to move. The rush of excitement was enough to make him faint. He hated having this animals in captivity but boy, did he love his job!

A flash of light attacked Yugi's eyes. He raised one hand to shadow his eyes, quickly spotting the ringmaster on top of the elevated platform in the middle.

Donning a sleek black top hat, the ringmaster spread his arms, his red coat shimmering in the abundance of the light. That smile that only scared Yugi aroused the crowd into a clamor of cheers. The ringmaster's visible eye, as one of them was hidden beneath his long silver hair – the hidden eye that Yugi saw only once in his life – scanned the crowd in pride. "Enter a circus of illusions!" He said in a voice coated in mystery.

The beasts Yugi were leading stood on their hind legs, roaring at the spectators. Yugi's eyes turned to the beasts. He raised his hands, calling the chimaeras attention.

"Welcome, to the greatest show in the world!"

- - -

Half-lidded crimson orbs watched seductive dancers twirl across the room, their golden clips and jewelry dangling in the waves of their movements like bells in the midnight sky. A yawn escaped his mouth, not even an effort was made to suppress such a rude gesture.

He grumbled, his eyes narrowing in annoyance as the dancer kept shaking their breasts in front of him. Some of the occupants in the room leaned forward, entranced by the graceful and passionate movements of the dancers but to him, they were simply a repeat of every dance whose purpose was to gain his favor through a harem of women that were ready to throw away their dignity for his…ugh…money and power.

He raised a tan hand slowly, as though to tease the tired and sweaty dancers, and then flapped his fingers, shooing the hard-working young ladies away.

The music instantly stopped and the women fell to the ground in exhaustion, eyes pleading for another chance but they were simply ignore with another flap of his hand. The dancers bowed low, muttering appreciation for his time that he was sure was wasted on such low class entertainment. With one more bow, the dancers left. Only when the jingle of their clothes were heard no more did he turn his head to the advisor at his feet.

"Are there any more?" he asked, his rich, low voice bouncing off the walls with authority that he had so much of.

The vizier bowed, "Yes, your highness, there's another group of dancers and musicians waiting to perform."

"Let me rephrase myself." He cleared his throat, "Are there _better_ performers?" his finger tapped impatiently on the armrests of his throne, crimson eyes sending glares at the poor old man.

The man bowed lower, his shoulders shaking as he refused to meet the fiery red eyes of the king, "I-I-I'm sorry, your majesty. There aren't any left." He crouched lower for fear of the ruler's wrath but he wasn't harmed, physically or verbally. He lifted his head and barely caught the tri-colored hairstyle of their leader leaving through the curtains that decorated the arch leading out of the room.

A sigh escaped the adviser's lips. At least, nothing bad had happened to him…well, not yet.

"And yet another failure, Atemu?"

The king turned his head to the voice then smirked, "None of them are up to my standards, Kaiba." He fixed the long crimson cape wrapped around his shoulders, shrugging at the man standing at the doors of his room.

Seto returned the smirk. He approached his cousin, his deep blue robes flowing as he walked, "And that's after seeing every performer in all of Imperium." He said in a mocking voice, "Do you _even_ have standards or do you just enjoy turning down every person you meet?"

Atemu snorted, "Of course I have standards! It's just that none of these so-called performers can even get halfway through." He crossed his arms, eyes wandering at the balcony of his room, and to the bright stars that twinkled in the deep velvet sky. "They're not…good enough."

The vizier rolled his eyes, "What _is_ it you want? Have you ever thought that maybe it _doesn't_ exist?"

The king glared at Seto. He sat down on one of the chairs, dropping his feet to a nearby footstool. "You may be my cousin but you are still below me. You're just one of my advisors even though I let you handle what comes in and out of my land…." His eyes grew big in realization, "Are you preventing the _good_ performers from entering the capital?"

"What do you mean—?"

"Because if it was that prank I pulled at you, we were twelve."

"What prank?"

"You know, the one where I dyed all your clothes in bright pink, including your hair."

"You mean _you_ did that!" Steel blue eyes narrowed in anger. He raised a clenched fist in anger, ready to strike the young man in front of him, king or not.

Atemu cleared his throat, not a bit fazed by the eye-daggers his cousin was throwing at him, "We were _twelve_. And right now, we're perfectly capable adults of 20." He raised his hands, resting his chin on his intertwined fingers. "Now, if there's no one good enough within Imperium, I'd like you to make sure to check the other regions."

Seto slowly brought down his fist. He was going to settle his revenge later. For now, he has to act as the vizier in charge of trade. "What kind of show do you like?"

"Hmm…." Atemu smiled, eyes closed as he thought of what would please him, "I'd like you to bring me…." He chuckled, "…the greatest show in the world."

- - -

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"No."

"Pretty-beautiful-exotic-grand-extra-extra please with caviar, cherries, strawberries and ice-cream for decoration?"

"NO, Mokuba. We are _not_ going to let some group of vagabonds and rogues enter the capital just because you say so."

"But they're not vagabonds and rogues!" Mokuba pouted, his dark eyes watering with his infamous puppy-dog pout. He grabbed the poster from his pocket and held it in front of his brother, "They're _circus performers_!" he held the paper close to his face, pleading eyes looking over colorful poster.

Seto closed his eyes, not willing to fall victim to his brother's persuading powers. "Yes, circus performers! Who knows where these people came from or what they're here for? We're not going to risk the capital's safety for something…something meant for _children_!" he reasoned, "And how did you find out that the circus is planning on coming here?"

Mokuba dove to the pile of papers and parchment on his brother's desk, pulling a yellow-faded paper, smudged with dirt. "Here. You _nearly_ threw away the request the ringmaster sent!" he threw the document to his brother's lap and knelt down, automatically using his puppy-dog eyes.

The vizier flinched. He turned his head away from his brother, busying himself with the wonderful rhythm of the tapping of his pen. Yes, wonderful. "You're 13 already, Mokuba. You are not a child anymore. You are an _adolescent_, you're on your way to being an adult. A circus is not an appropriate show for you anymore."

"Aww! But it's the _greatest_ show in the world!" Mokuba pointed to the poster, "It says so in the poster! The _GRRReatest_ show in the world!"

Seto snapped his eyes open. _Now where did I hear that again…?_ , he closed his eyes, searching his memory for the same words but failing. "_Mokuba_, not this time. You cannot always get what you want. This'll be a good lesson for you." He slammed his palms on his desk, signaling the end of the conversation. "I have some work to do. Come back later." He twirled his pen between his fingers, eyes focused on the documents under his hands.

Mokuba sighed in defeat, dropping the poster to the ground. He took the document of appeal in his hands, reading the contents once again. _All it needs is a seal…. Doesn't even need onii-chan's signature—_ , his eyes snapped open in possibility.

He turned to his brother with his most disappointed and teary face, "Okay…." He sniffed, "…I'll just leave now."

A sigh escaped Seto's lips as he heard the soft click of the doors closing. He looked up, shoulders relaxing in relief. He scanned the document in his hands and reached out for the seal placed at the corner of his table, just as it always had been. But all he felt was thin air and the brush of papers falling to the floor.

He looked up, searching his surroundings for the seal but failing to see even a sign of it. He took out a small piece of parchment and started writing, "I need to have that seal replaced." He snapped his fingers, calling his servants to do their job.

- - -

It was a normal and happy day for the circus – apparently, they were the _only_ existing circus. The aftermaths of the previous war, left little people vying for a life of travel and entertainment. – and it was such a perfect day. Their most recent show gave them profits way beyond their normal rate, letting them buy newer clothes, better equipment, and more supplies.

"Pack your things now! Fix up!" Pegasus ordered, walking through the crowd of performers, "We're leaving soon!"

"But we've only restocked our supplies. Aren't we going to stay longer to pick up better equipment and clothes?" Mai placed a hand on her hip, tapping her foot in impatience. She, like many others, had been waiting to get better luggage. Living with such worn-out clothes made them look like a bunch of vagabonds and rogues instead of circus performers.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Pegasus shook his head, shooing away the blonde, "You don't need to do that here. Anything you want to buy, you can buy in the town we're going to."

The performers looked at each other, wondering what made the sudden change. They had never reserved what they could buy here for another town. The ringmaster never enforced it so why should he now?

"Excuse me, sir, where _exactly_ is our next destination?" Yugi asked, stroking the feathers of the falcon on perched on his leather-clad arm.

"My, Yugi-boy, we are going…" Pegasus smiled, making the short teen turn away, "…to the capital!"

* * *

_**Imperium:** Latin. Authority. Rule. Control. The power to command. And, in this fic, the name of Atemu's land._

- - -

I can't write in Jou's language He's hell.

Anyway, here's the line-up: Pegasus is the ringmaster. Yugi is the Beast Tamer. Ryou is the magician person. Malik is the knife-thrower person while Shizuka is his assistant or the one getting thrown knives at. Jou and Honda are the jesters or clowns. Anzu, Mai and Otogi are the trapeze performers. Keith is the muscleman person. It just fits. And besides, Pegasus rhymes with circus XDXDXD

So…how was it? A blast of something new? Or is my writing not good enough? Let me know what you think :)


	2. II : The Circus is in Town

**For Play**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** (AU) All Yugi wanted was to gain his freedom. All Atemu wanted was a good entertainment. All chance wanted was for them to meet and a circus was more than willing to help. YYY.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance

**Pairings:** (main) YYY, (sub) BR, SJ, MM

**Disclaimer:** Kazuki Takahashi owns YGO.

**Note:** Oh, and the _only_ reason I made Yugi a beast master, Ryou a magician and Malik a knife thrower is that I'm _sick and tired_ of seeing the Hikaris _so_ helpless that all they do when kidnapped is wait for their respective Yamis XS No offense meant. I just want them to be able to do something other than sit, wait, think and be _kind_ XP I'll be able to write them better...I think.

* * *

**II. The Circus is in Town**

They had never been to any of the capitals in the lands they visited. There were problems of security and trust that a circus could never pass. They were a bunch of rogues from different parts of the world, coming together in one show. It was practically impossible for any country to trust them when their origins are so vague.

Then Imperium came. Their request had been approved quite sloppily, as though the person was putting the seal while sleeping but the point was, the capital had welcomed them.

"Yugi! Aren't you coming?" Anzu waved her hand, calling the beast master away from his animals.

"No thanks, Anzu. I can't leave the animals here alone, especially here in the capital." Yugi looked at the open cages of the beasts then at the trapeze performer and the others with her, "I don't want them to cause trouble. We might get kicked out. It'd be a waste if we can't perform on our first trip to the capital." He absent-mindedly stroked the mane of one of the nearby chimaeras.

"But it's the capital, Yug!" Jou complained, "Can't you leave your pets for once? We don't always get a pass into them!"

But the argument was useless. The beasts listen to no one but Yugi. Ryou would be able to lead them since he's the one who takes care of the cages along with the beast master but it was only Yugi who could calm the creatures in an agitated state…which happens every time an unfamiliar person dares to approach them.

It was a wonder to them how Yugi, who was always mistaken as a child, could handle the creatures as if they were his own hands.

"I'm sorry, Jou." Yugi bowed apologetically, "Maybe next time?" he turned to them with pleading velvet eyes.

Jou, Honda and Otogi groaned. It was those eyes again, eyes that no one could refuse – except Ryou that is, since he has his own version of them. But it worked like a charm for the ladies.

Mai hit Jounouchi sharply on his waist with her elbow. "Don't groan. It's rude. Yugi's just being cute." Shizuka and Anzu nodded in agreement.

"You should get going now, guys." Yugi looked at the skies, "Pegasus only gave you until this afternoon to search the town, right? And that includes promoting the show." He pointed out. He would very much like to explore the town but getting to stay with the animals saves him from any scolding their ringmaster would give.

The circus performers nodded. Getting on the bad side of the ringmaster was definitely something none of them would like to achieve. Pegasus had this was of attacking their weaknesses and fears…as though he could read your mind.

"We'll just buy you some new clothes, Yugi." Ryou offered, smiling softly at the shorter teen, "Oh, and is there anything else you want to add to the list?" he dug a hand in his long loose sleeves and took out a scroll of parchment.

The beast master shook his head, "We've got enough food for the animals but if you do see some good treats for Rome and Remus," he jabbed his thumb towards the pair of large red hyenas that looked as though they were interbred with bulldogs, "They're pretty restless today."

"Oh yes, the hellhounds." Ryou could still remember when they got those hounds. They attacked everybody they saw…except Yugi, that is. The beasts _always_ acted like perfect little angels around the tamer.

"See you, Yugi!"

- - -

To say the town was beautiful would be an understatement. Behind the tall grey walls of stone that bordered the village were stores and buildings of all kinds, towering over the circus performers like the hydra they kept. The other towns were swept away from their memories. The little and barely noticeable bungalows were replaced with two-and-three-story houses of stone, painted in blues and red that were faded because of time. The wooden frames of the said houses seemed to shine under the bright sunshine.

Shops and restaurants decorated the streets with people dressed in their work clothes going in and out of the buildings. A few overly decorated carriages were parked in front a few of the restaurants, letting the dukes and duchesses alight. Around the fountain in the middle of the town, children from the lower social status were playing, splashing each other with the fountain waters and throwing roughly made balls at each other.

It was all façade, they knew. A town this rich and big would surely have a rundown part where the poor are left, separating them from the rich but they were not here to be heroes or to say which should be done or not. They were simply circus performers, striving to support themselves like everyone else.

"Why'd us get stuck with the girls again?" Jou crossed his arms, leaning at the stone walls of the store behind him. Above his head, a sigh that said "The Perfect Stitch" hung on a metal bar, swinging slowly with the passing wind. "We could've gone with Ryou and Malik, you know."

Otogi shrugged, sitting upon a nearby barrel, "You know how forceful the girls are. They said they needed _somebody_ to carry their bags." He sighed, "Just so happens that that somebody were us."

"And besides, don't you want to keep watch over Shizuka?" Honda glanced at his "partner-in-act" then turned back to the glass windows of the store, trying to get a peek of the girls and whatever it was they were buying. Just clothes, but they were also buying for Yugi and most of the troupe. With a sigh, he gave up and focused his attention on Jou's ramblings.

"Yeah, I know. It should've been Ryou who'd gone with them girls." The blonde jester grumbled, "He'd be able to carry all them bags. You know, with his freaky space magic thingy." He made gesture with his hands, attempting to copy a magician, "Or at least Malik should be here with us."

"Ryou's restocking our supplies. And Malik…well…is being Malik. He must be going through all the armories they have here. Ryou's just there to keep the guy in line." Honda pointed out.

The knife master had an obsession over his daggers and the only people that Malik actually give his knives to are Shizuka and Ryou: Shizuka because she's his assistant, much to Jou's protests, and Ryou because he's the only one who could hide Malik's "precious" knives in a safe place no one could hide.

"But still—"

"Be a man, Jou!" A brown bag slammed on the jester's face, "A man is _supposed_ to help a _lady_ carry her stuff." Anzu flipped her hair, sticking her nose high in air like the royal ladies they've passed a while ago. Behind her, Mai and Shizuka were covering their snickers with their hands.

"That's right." Mai stepped forward, throwing her own bags to the jester's arms, "Be a gentleman, Jou. Show these people how courteous the men of the circus are!" she hollered, calling the attention of most of the people in the streets.

Shizuka approached her brother, clutching her paper bags to her chest. She had no plans on helping the trapeze performers with their little show. She definitely did not want to burden the last of her family with more luggages…

"And here's some more!" Jou stumbled backwards, falling ungracefully on his butt.

…not unless Mai and Anzu grabbed her bags from her and threw it at her brother.

"Sorry." The redhead bowed, passing a worried look to her brother.

Jou struggled to get up but only fell down as he tripped over one of the bags. Otogi and Honda burst out laughing.

"Shut up, you idiots!" He threw bags towards the two.

Otogi caught the wrapped clothing with ease, placing it on the barrel he was sitting upon but Honda, who was busy laughing, got hit squarely on the face. The brunette jester stumbled back, rubbing his face with the back of his hand. Honda turned vengeful eyes at his partner-in-act, gripping the package tightly. "Hey! Don't try to mix me with _your_ stupidity!" he threw the package at the blonde.

Jou stood up and caught the item thrown at him as he threw the bags around him at Honda, who caught them with ease and threw them back. With furious determination, they kept catching and throwing the packages, not once noticing the little crowd forming around them.

"Ooh…what is that they're doing? They're pretty good." One of the watchers praised. A few of the people around him nodded. They've never seen such good tossing and catching.

Mai chuckled, "It's called juggling." She offered, "If you want to see more of it, you could drop by our circus, just at the western end of the town." She pointed to the west wall where a lazy flag was flowing with air: the only sign of the circus tents.

"The circus?" the man repeated with a curious voice.

The blonde nodded, passing a flyer to the man, "I'll look forward to seeing you there." She winked at the man, smiling at the light blush across his face.

Across Mai, Shizuka and Anzu were already handing flyers to everyone in the crowd with their own ways of flirting. Flirting always _did_ bring more customers.

Only when Otogi threw the package in his hands did the juggling stopped. The bags flew in the air, hitting Jou and Honda's faces. The two fell down, clutching their head to stop the slight dizziness. The crowd around them burst into loud and uncontrolled laughter, snapping the jesters from their so-called fight.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Jou and Honda bowed, "Just come to the circus to see the _real_ show!"

Applause rang through the crowd as it slowly dispersed, all of them talking about the circus.

"That went well." Mai smiled, "You guys pick up the bags you were playing with! Make sure none of them are damaged!" she hollered, walking towards Anzu and Otogi. Shizuka had rushed to help her brother.

"Always works, doesn't it?" Anzu giggled, "I wonder when they'll catch on to us using them to promote the show."

The three trapeze performers looked at the two jesters. Jou was barking at Honda for touching Shizuka's hand.

"Probably never." Mai and Anzu agreed.

- - -

"Thank you." Ryou smiled at the butcher as a humongous pile of meat wrapped individually in brown paper. He conjured a bag of coins from his sleeves and pushed them to the counter, "You can drop off the cattle just at the west end of the town. You won't miss our tent." He took one of the wrapped meats in his hands and slipped them into his sleeves.

The butcher raised an eyebrow in question, "Maybe you should leave that here as well. We'll deliver it along with them cattle." He offered, watching the albino grab another one and put it inside his sleeves, "I'm sure we won't miss your tents. The circus, right?"

Ryou nodded enthusiastically, "Yes. Please come and see us if you have time. I guarantee you won't be disappointed." He grabbed more of the packets, stuffing them in his sleeves as though it was as normal as day. And for some reason, his sleeves never seem to run out of space. "Oh, and I can carry them all, sir. This won't be a problem." He covered the meat in a loose hug. As he lifted his arms away, all of them vanished.

"HOLY SHIT!" The butcher stumbled back, eyes wide in both amazement and fear. "How did, how did, _how did you do that_?" he pointed at the empty counter with shaking fingers.

"IT'S MAGIC!" A high-pitch squeal caught the attention of everyone in the meat house. A little girl tumbled out from the stairs behind the counter, running in excitement towards the albino. "It's magic! It's magic, right? It's _circus magic_!" she grabbed the performer's shirt, jumping up and down.

Ryou nodded, "Yes, it's circus magic." He his both of his hands into his sleeves, looking up in deep thought as though he was searching for something. His face lit up and he separated his palms, a long string of multi-colored cloths knotted together appeared between his outstretched arms.

The little girl jumped up and grabbed the knotted cloths from the albino but as soon as she touched them, they exploded into hundreds of butterflies, flying out of every opening in the butcher's shop. The child gasped then squealed in laughter. She ran toward the butcher, clinging to the man's leg and begged, "PAPA! Let's go watch the circus!"

The butcher looked at his daughter then at Ryou. He sighed then said, "They _are_ pretty amazing." He nodded, "I guess we _will_ go and see their show."

Ryou bowed in gratitude, "Thank you." He waved at the little girl then walked out of the store, giving a smile to the other curious customers who watched him closely with shocked eyes.

"You got them with that infinite-space thing of yours again?" Malik grinned, pushing himself from the wall he was leaning upon.

"I did _not_ 'get them'. You know it's the only way to carry _all_ of the stuff we bought." The magician raised his arms in the air as though to emphasize his point. Having the ability to open a fourth dimension was useful. He could store anything and everything he wanted in that fourth dimension and be assured that it will not be taken from him. After all, he was the only one who could open and close them.

The knife master grinned, "Maybe you should be a thief instead. You'd grab more moola that way."

Ryou rolled his eyes, "And steal the knives you can't afford?"

"Well, that's what friends are for…right?" Malik clasped his hands together, fluttering his eyelashes in an attempt to look cute.

The albino sighed, "You know that never works on me." _Not that it works on anybody else._ "Anyway, didn't you say you want to check out the weapons store? And you haven't done your fair share of promoting the circus." It was not only for the benefit of their ring master, it was for the circus itself. Without the money, they wouldn't be able to support themselves and heaven knows that Yugi would _never_ let them eat the animals.

Malik smiled, eyes lighting up at the mention of his beloved weapon. It was talent, really, pure talent. His knives were like extensions of his hands. He never leaves the tent without one…especially since camping outside had its own dangers. The beast master may be able to stop wild animals but not bandits.

"Okay!" Malik grabbed the albino's arm, "Let's go buy my knives! I'll do that promotion thing there. They just need a bit of sharp throwing and we'll have them!" he laughed, flicking one of the knives hidden under his wrist. A couple of children were grabbed by their mother, pulling them out of the knife master's way.

Ryou sighed. _But it seems like you're scaring them away instead._

- - -

_It's the circus! The circus is finally here in town!_

Mokuba stopped, catching his breath in front of the tall cream walls of the circus tent. He grinned and started walking to the back of the tent where the cages and carriages were. All the while, his eyes were focused on the red flag at the top of the tent, admiring his "fine work".

Then his eyes spotted the animals. He gasped in amazement. The only times he ever saw beasts like those were during his trips to the library. He was rarely out of the family grounds so it was no surprise. In fact, he had to sneak out of the town, dodging the guards his brother assigned to watch over him, just to get to the circus. But all of it was worth it.

"Oh! Look!" Mokuba exclaimed, talking to no one in particular, "A _dragon_!" he rushed to the sleek black dragon curled up near the trees. A metal fence ran around the dragon and a good part of the forest but with his trained eyes, he easily spotted the open gate at the side. He was not a stupid child. He knew that the circus had their animals trained better than dogs. If not, they wouldn't be able to put up their shows well so what harm was there approaching a sleeping reptile?

With careful steps – _I don't need to be careful. This thing is harmless!_ – Mokuba approached the dragon, marveling at the dark scales that shone like diamonds, probably as hard as them as well. He wondered vaguely if he could get his brother to get him one of the scales. He took a deep breath and ran his fingers across the smooth scales.

Then a strong gush of wind awoke him from his reverie. Blood red eyes stared into dark pools. Mokuba fell down, his frame shaking stronger than a leaf in the wind. Those eyes…reminded him too much of…. "Your majesty…." He whispered, fear replacing his confidence.

The dragon roared, slamming his claws in front of the boy. Steam poured out of his mouth and Mokuba knew that it was his time to run away but as much as his mind screamed at him, his legs refused to move.

"CAMELOT!" The beast turned to the voice, steam dissipating into thin air. "What are you doing to that boy?"

A hand waved in front of Mokuba's face. His eyes focused on the figure blocking the calmed dragon from his view. "Your _majesty_?" he rubbed his eyes. _I must be hallucinating…._ , He shook his head. _But I've never seen anyone that has the same hair as the king._

_Did the boy just called me…? No, he must be shocked. Yes, that's right. Just shocked._ "Excuse me? Are you alright?" The beast tamer smiled, "Don't worry about Camelot. He won't try to hurt you. At least not while I'm here." He extended his hand to boy who took it hesitantly.

Mokuba stood up. The "king" was smaller than he last saw him, almost as if he was just a year or two older than he was. _Or maybe I got taller._ , It was a pleasing thought since his brother _is_ probably the tallest person in town. He should as well. Then the sight of violet made him thought otherwise.

This person was definitely _not_ his highness.

"Hello?" Again, Yugi waved his hand over the boy's face. The boy had that dazed look since he dragged him out of the cage. This time, he made sure to lock the gate…but he never expected anyone to come…until this boy here. "Boy? What are you doing here?"

"Don't call me a boy!" Mokuba crossed his arms, "You're around _my_ age as well!"

Now it was Yugi's time to pout. He was short, yes, but the boy didn't have to be so mean about it. "No, I'm 18." He defied, enjoying the shocked expression given to him, "So what are you doing here, _boy_? Did you get lost? How did you get into Camelot's cage? Most people don't usually go near a dragon."

"I thought he was tamed." Mokuba explained, eyes darting to the dragon's cage, "This _is_ a circus after all. The animals _should_ be tamed." He turned back to the beast master, "How come _you_ weren't attacked?" he asked suspiciously.

Yugi laughed. "The name's Yugi Mutou." He took the boy's hand for a friendly shake, "I take care of the beasts. I'm the," he cleared his throat, "'Beast Master'. The animals are some of my good friends. They always listen to me…which is good since the rest of troupe usually get in trouble with them." A clear flash of Jou being bullied by the hydra played in his mind.

"Ooh." Mokuba said with new found interest in the beast tamer, "Then they're _wild_ wild animals?" he sighed in relief that the show they'll see won't be faked, "It's a good thing I approved the papers then!"

"Approved the papers?" Yugi cocked his head in question, "What papers…uhm…."

"Call me Mokuba." The boy grinned, "My brother's the vizier in charge of trade of the country but then, he didn't want to approve your papers and I really wanted to see your show! So…well…I stole his seal and approved your papers myself." he proudly put a hand over his chest, laughing a little at his story.

"Then please accept our utmost gratitude!" Yugi genuflected, copying the knights and the viziers' praise of the king. Little did he know that the chimaeras behind him followed suit.

Mokuba laughed, eyes focused on the beasts instead of Yugi. "Your beasts would make good actors."

Yugi jerked his head over his shoulder and scowled mockingly at the chimaeras, "Now, Sancha, Cane, what did I say about respect?" he placed his palms on his hips, copying a certain blue-eyed brunette trapeze performer. The beasts whined, crouching down in apology.

Mokuba burst out laughing. The beast master may _look_ like the king but he was _nowhere_ near him. Because the king would _never_ get caught being as playful as this.

- - -

"Mokuba! MOKUBA!"

When Seto Kaiba starts storming through the palace halls, screaming his little brother's name, it was a sign of an upcoming storm. It was no surprise to the palace that Mokuba had successfully fooled the vizier. In fact, they welcomed it. It was a spark out of the normal that everybody enjoyed…except people worse that Seto Kaiba…which seem to make the palace as their habitat. But the young Kaiba's pranks did no harm to anybody so it was a surprise to see the vizier complaining in front of the king.

"That…that…_spoiled_ brat!" Of course, Seto Kaiba _would_ forget that he was once that spoiled as well…maybe even worse. "MOKUBA! MOKUBA!" he turned to one of the nearby guards, "You! Go find my brother! NOW!"

Atemu smirked, leaning his chin on a palm. Seeing his cousin go crazy over a thirteen-year-old boy was always an amusing sight. "What did Mokuba do this time? Surely it's not as horrible as you make it to be and definitely not wrong enough to complain in front of your king."

The vizier turned to the king, slamming a colorful poster in front of his cousin's face. "This. _This_ is what monstrosity my brother has created this time!"

Atemu blinked. _What could be horrible about a colorful poster?_ , he smoothened the creases of the paper. His eyes quickly wandered to the slogan, "…'The greatest show in the world'…is it?" he smiled. _Maybe I should go see this._

"He _brought_ that…that _children's_ show to the capital!" Seto pointed to the balconies of the throne room, to the barely noticeable red flag of the circus tents, "Who knows what kinds of things they are bringing here! They're probably showing a bunch of idiots throwing _pies_ at each others faces! (1) I _cannot_ even begin to explain how _suspicious_ that circus is!"

The king's lips came into a tight frown. With that stated, watching the circus would probably be impossible for him. If he ever insisted on going, the show would probably be stripped to a bunch of dancers trapped in a lion cage, saying that this or that is dangerous. It would end up as a useless show.

Atemu sighed. _So much trouble…._ , he looked at the faraway flag his cousin had pointed. All noise of Seto's complaints was blocked from entering his ears. A sly smirk made its way to his lips.

Well, he could always sneak out.

- - -

Bright lights decorated the edges of the circus tent, illuminating the people in the long line formed at the side of the tent. People from all levels of the society formed the line. For now, all of them would be treated equally. And that was how Atemu wanted it. In this place, he'd _never_ be recognized.

The king, now dressed in dull commoner's clothes, made his way to the line. He pressed his cap closer to his eyes, as though he was afraid some of these people would recognize him. Then his eyes captured a familiar carriage making its way to the tents. Quickly, he dashed away from the line, hiding behind one of the folds of the tent.

From the carriage alighted the too familiar form of a vizier in blue robes. Behind the vizier, a kid of 13 jumped enthusiastically off the carriage.

"Kaiba, huh. And _he_ was the one complaining about the circus." Crimson eyes watched as the line parted into two, letting the vizier and his brother walk their way to the ticket booth, "Damn. Kaiba would surely recognize me, with or without the hair." He pushed his cap closer to his head.

_I'd better find a different way to get in._ , It was now or never. Once the palace finds out he was gone, the security around his room would thicken and by the time he could sneak out again, the circus would be gone.

With one last look, Atemu walked away from the lights, getting closer to the shadows behind the tent. A dull yellow light shone on the makeshift cages and carriages scattered at the back. He moved forward, ignoring the eerie songs of the crickets. Then the wind flew open a flap of the tent, revealing a back door.

_Probably the backstage access._ , The king smirked. _I could live with that._

He rushed towards the entrance, not noticing the three pairs of yellow lights moving in the shadows. Then a low growl reached the king's ears. He turned around and saw the yellow lights…and the barely lighted snouts…but he could see clearly the large white fangs dripping with saliva.

Atemu took a step backwards, knocking down a couple of empty crates with his elbow. _Don't crash loudly._ , he pleaded but the crates paid no heed to him, crashing upon each other in a loud echoing bang.

"Hello?" A soft voice cut through the cricket's song, "Is anyone there?" This time, Atemu could sense a hint of fear and wondered why this person should be afraid when _he_ was the one sneaking.

Crimson eyes darted left and right, looking for a place to hide but the only place he found was behind the remaining stacked up crates. Atemu grumbled but made his way behind the crates nonetheless, hoping that the shadows would hide him from anyone who approaches. He grabbed his head in an attempt to hide his face but found no cap to do so. A crisp curse escaped his lips as he spotted his cap lying over the heap of broken wood.

Between the cracks of the crates, the king saw a short person – _A child?_ – cloaked in black leather appear from the shadows. He almost gasped when he saw the kid approach the monster who startled him and pat the three dog heads that appeared in the darkness.

"Mythos, why are you so noisy?" The child asked annoyed. "You'll get your turn next time. Rome and Remus are scheduled to appear today. You wait for your turn, okay?" The three-headed dog yipped uncharacteristically, licking the boy's face like a puppy.

This time, Atemu didn't stop the surprised gasp that escaped his lips as he heard rich laughter from the boy.

"Who-who's there?" The boy asked in alarm, "Please show yourself."

Atemu cursed under his breath. The boy would eventually find him no matter what he did so he might as well appear now. He stood up slowly, smoothing his clothes and dusting away what clung to his trousers. With a deep breath, he stepped into the light. Only then did he notice the coiled whip hanging at the boy's side.

_So he's from the circus…._ , The king thought in relief, _At least he won't recognize me._

"You…you…you…." The boy's breathing became harsh and rough, as though he had seen a ghost.

_Could he have recognized me?_ , In alarm, Atemu turned his eyes to the boy. _No, impossible!_

Then he was met with a rush of velvet purple.

* * *

(1) Mhmm…Jou is offended! XP

Okay, piece of info round two! Yugi's beasts: Hera, the hydra; a dozen horses (who else will drive the carriages?); Rome and Remus, the hellhound twins; four wolves; three falcons (for sending messages and such); Sancha and Cane, the chimaera couple; Mythos, the three-headed dog and finally, Camelot, the red-eyed black dragon (because I couldn't resist XD).

And Ryou's our beloved magician with the ability to hide anything and everything within his sleeves XD I thought it would fit well since his yami's a thief. Ryou himself would never be caught stealing but his skills would be perfect if he did. Wait, rephrase. Ryou's skills would be _perfect_ for Bakura :)

Thanks to: **Mach'isheen**, **Lady Laran**, **Angel's Charm**, **tai'sgirl23**, **KagomeGirl21**, **HOPPY-SAN2345**, **conkreen**, **silverwolf407**, **biacebaolck** and **Baka Shojo**.


	3. III : King of the Wild

**For Play**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** (AU) All Yugi wanted was to gain his freedom. All Atemu wanted was a good entertainment. All chance wanted was for them to meet and a circus was more than willing to help. YYY.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance

**Pairings:** (main) YYY, (sub) BR, SJ, MM

**Disclaimer:** Kazuki Takahashi owns YGO.

**Note:** I'm currently writing my Naruto fic so this one doesn't get much attention XS Hence, the updates aren't as fast as the other fic. I have the plot written down though. It's just the case of writing it

* * *

**III. King of the Wild**

Yugi took a deep breath. This man in front of him was like a copy of himself. Sharp crimson eyes and height difference were the only things that assured him that he wasn't looking at a mirror or hallucinating. He also noted the extra golden spikes on the other's hair but as of the moment, he was too busy looking at the shocked expression of the other. He absent-mindedly placed a hand on his hood and on the mask placed across his eyes. The other him shouldn't be alarmed when even Yugi doesn't recognize himself.

A shuffle of cloth cut through their staring match.

"Hey! See anyone there?"

The beast master froze. "Uhm, no! There's no one here! Mythos just knocked over a few crates!" _What am I going to do? Pegasus_ hates _it when people sneak into the show!_ , he looked around in panic, trying to think of a good way to get this mysterious young man out of trouble.

With an annoyed sigh, he grabbed his other self's arm and dragged him into the tent's shadows. He pressed his back to the tent and crouched down. "Are you going to watch the show?" he jerked his head to the other, motioning for him to lay low. A soft whoosh assured him that the tent's flaps were closed.

The young man blinked, as though he couldn't comprehend what Yugi was saying.

"I said," Yugi took a deep breath, pulling the other closer as he whispered, "Are you going to watch the show?"

The other nodded slowly but that was all the approval the beast master needed. Tightening his grip of the other man, Yugi led his other self around the tent, dodging his fellow performers. The loud cheers and lively music signaled the start of the show but the beast master paid no heed, expertly leading the other as though he had been saving people like them all his life. Well, he probably does.

"The show…it's starting." The crimson-eyed young man turned his head up, watching as the dim lights that crawled over the tent flashed in a different array of colors.

"Yes. It's good then." Yugi smiled, seeing the empty entrance of the tents, "Nobody would catch you sneaking in. The ringmaster gets nasty when he catches people like you. It'd be better if you never face him. He gets…too scary…almost as if he's reading your mind." He whispered hoarsely.

The other snorted. He looked at the beast master as though to say that something like that would _never_ happen to him – or rather, it's impossible.

Yugi shrugged at the reaction of his other self. There were a lot of things he didn't know about the capital. Maybe one of them was the citizens' immunity to harm from foreigners? But all he wanted to do was to get this strange look-alike of his out of the ringmaster's clutches.

"And I'm _not_ sneaking in. I have money to pay for a ticket." The stranger took some shiny gold coins from his pocket then hid them back into his trousers.

"Then that's better." Yugi sighed in relief, "I'll give you a ticket. You pay for it. Then Pegasus can't say you've stolen a show." He started running his hands over his clothes, wondering where he put that extra ticket he always carried around him. His eyes lit up in relief as he conjured up a red crumpled piece of thick paper and shoved it to the stranger's chest.

The young man blinked in confusion. Nonetheless, he handed the beast tamer a few coins which the other refused with a defiant shake of his head.

"Later." Yugi whispered, "Pay later. For now, get into the tent. My act is coming soon." He pushed the stranger into the tents and turned around. He was _not_ allowed to be late for his act. The ringmaster won't be pleased.

"Wait!" The crimson-eyed young man called, "What's your name, kid?"

The beast master frowned, "I'm not a kid. I'm 18." He slapped a hand over his chest, "And it's—"

The loud cheers and claps interrupted the beast master, causing both him and the stranger to look into the tents. The somersault of the trapeze performers sent the crowd and the stranger into awe. By the time the stranger turned to hear the beast tamer's name, Yugi was nowhere to be found.

- - -

"Sneaking out of the palace to see a rogues' show? How desperate can you get, Atemu?" Seto placed two fingers on the bridge of his nose. A long tired sigh escaped his lips. He willed his sight away from the king of the land…who was, as of the moment, dressed in commoners' clothes…and closed his eyes.

The king nodded, not really listening to his cousin's words. He was still thinking about the beast tamer who sneaked him into the tents. The boy and his hellhounds were the performers he watched since he missed the others before that, wasting time sneaking around with the beast master.

The show was, to put it simply, amazing. He knew of hellhounds and their vicious nature, and yet, in front of the beast tamer, they were like trained dogs, executing their wide range of tricks as though they had never been wild in the first place. He didn't know if the hounds were thoroughly tamed or the beast master was just overly skilled…though he believed the former more.

Atemu had met the beast master face to face and though he could barely see the boy's face, the beast master's wide purple eyes, short stature and childlike voice said enough to tell that that boy could _not_ possibly tame vicious beasts like hell hounds. And he noticed quite easily that the boy never used the whip he carried on his side. Most of the audience took little notice of the beast master because of the hounds but Atemu's eyes were glued to the boy the whole show. After all, he _did_ owe the boy a ticket fee that he was still supposed to pay.

But despite all those musings, the show was still the most entertaining one he had ever encountered. It was unique and fresh and it had the king glued to each performance that he never even noticed Seto and his brother sitting on the other side of the tent. The vizier's stare that he had always found unnerving had become nothing.

Only after the show, when Seto approached him, did he realize he was found. And he never had the time to search for the beast master and pay his debt.

"Atemu? Are you listening to me?" The vizier called but the king ignored him, favoring the passing scenery of the carriage instead.

"Can we go again to the next show? I wanna see Yugi again!" Mokuba suddenly interrupted, "He promised me he'd introduce me to the rest of the circus once I go back!" he clasped his hands together, begging his brother with pleading eyes.

Seto sighed, shaking his head, "Once is enough. Such an uncivilized show is not appropriate for royalty."

Mokuba frowned, a pout making its way to his lips, "But Yugi isn't uncivilized! He's actually very nice!"

The vizier shook his head. His brother had always been a handful but the kid had never been so pushy as to attach himself to a circus performer he had met only once. "There you go again with that bea—"

"I like it."

The Kaiba brothers turned to the king.

Atemu smirked and turned amused eyes at his advisor, "The circus. I like it. I'd like to see them again." He chuckled at the slight surprise his cousin showed. "Have them brought to the palace."

"Wh-what?"

The king shrugged, "It's my palace. And it's for _my_ entertainment." He reasoned, ignoring the horrified – as horrified as Seto could get – looks his vizier sent his way, "They can stay in the front lawns. It should be enough for them all to fit. Have them moved as soon as possible."

The carriage came to a halt. One of the footmen opened the doors, letting Atemu alight from the vehicle. A mob of advisors and guards rushed to him in worry but he sent them away with orders for the circus. The clopping of horseshoes on the stone pavements of the castle grounds signaled Seto's departure as the king led himself to his room.

He needed to see that beast master again. After all, he still owed him a few coins for the ticket.

- - -

The first rays of the sun touched the red flowing flag of the circus tents, casting a long shadow over the cages and crates around it. The soft chirps of the birds in the nearby trees were chased away by the lazy roars of the circus beasts. Sitting upon one of the wooden fences was the beast master. A pitchfork lay on his side. He had just finished feeding the animals.

"What? You saw someone who looked _exactly_ like you?" It was Jou, the resident jester. He plopped down on a nearby crate and took a big bite on the apple in his hands.

Yugi nodded, "Well, _not_ exactly. He was taller than me." He raised his hand to indicate the height difference, "And his eyes were sharper and they were red. But if you ignore the height, he could practically pass as me."

"Close enough." The jester threw away what remained of the apple that he couldn't eat and grabbed another from his sleeves. He leaned forward, waving a finger in front of his face, "You shouldn't have helped him sneak into the show, you know. You'll get into trouble with Pegasus." He shivered in disgust as he said the name.

"Well, he wasn't _really_ sneaking in. He said he had money to pay for the ticket – he even showed it to me – but," The beast master sighed, "I think he got in trouble with the palace. Mokuba's brother took him away before I could ask for the payment. You don't think he was being arrested, right?" he asked worriedly. In the smaller towns they've visited, the guards and the constable usually make a big fuss, ransacking houses and waking the whole village just to arrest one thief. Surely, Yugi thought, that they would do the same in the capital…right?

"See? The man's dangerous enough as it is!" exclaimed Jounouchi.

"Dangerous?" Yugi repeated, looking at the blonde in mock shock, "No, he's not, Jou! He's actually nice…." He thought back to when he met the young man and he chuckled nervously, "…Okay. He was a bit annoying and really ignorant but I don't think he'll hurt anyone."

Jou shook his head, tsk-ing like a certain blue-eyed brunette, "Yug, you trust too much." He sighed, "You know, they say when you meet your look-alike, it's a sign of death. We _can't_ have you dying on us, Yug! We _need_ you!" he wailed animatedly.

"Actually, it came from the concept of anti-matter." Ryou approached the two, greeting them both a good morning.

Yugi smiled, greeting the albino with the same cheery good morning.

"Anti-what?" Jou asked in return, looking at the wizard in confusion.

"Anti-matter." Ryou sat down beside him, "Scholars say that somewhere in the vast heavens is an anti-matter that would cancel out matter. So I can say that there's an anti-Jounouchi somewhere out there and when anti-Jou and Jou meet, they'd cancel out each other, disappear, disintegrate, you know the likes." He copied an explosion with his hands.

Jou paled and shook his head vigorously. He turned to the beast master in panic, "SEE! You shouldn't meet your look-alike anymore!"

"Hmm? What's this about a look alike?" Ryou turned to Yugi, raising a brow in question. And to Jou, he said, "It was just a concept. The scholars haven't proved it yet. It's probably just a big joke anyway." It calmed the jester considerably.

Yugi sighed, "I met him last night. He got lost around the tents and I let him inside the show." He explained, "He looked like my twin except that he's taller and had red eyes." He shrugged then jumped off the fence. He ran a hand over his bottom, dusting away what clung to his trousers.

Ryou nodded slowly. He gave a bright amused smile to the beast master and said, "That seems interesting. We should meet him." He thoughtfully tapped a finger on his chin, "Maybe there's a look-alike of me as well? Somewhere here? I'd like to meet him." He laughed softly.

Yugi laughed along with him. "Yes, he was interesting." He smiled at the thought of his other self.

"HEY!" A high-pitched voice growled. The three turned their heads and was mildly surprised to see Anzu stomping their way. The trapeze performer had a brown worn-out apron wrapped around her waist. On her right hand was a ladle wet with broth.

"Oh, I forgot!" Ryou exclaimed in shock, "Anzu told me to come and get Yugi for breakfast!" he bowed slightly at the mentioned girl. He flashed a cheeky smile and said, "I'm sorry!"

Anzu frowned and placed her palms on her hips. "I understand Jou forgetting," she shot a glare at the blonde who flinched then avoided her eyes with a whistle, "But not you, Ryou." She sighed in disappointment.

Again, the wizard bowed. He clasped his hands together and bought it to his lips, "I'm _really_ sorry, Anzu, but they were talking about the most interesting of things and I couldn't help but join in." he turned pleading eyes at Anzu, who started shifted from one foot to another uncomfortably.

"Fine, fine. You're forgiven!" Anzu threw her arms in the air. She sighed and turned back to the direction she came from. "Now that you're finished talking, let's head back to the others. I'm sure there's still enough food left seeing as Jou wasn't there to eat them all." She sneered at the blonde.

"Hey!"

Yugi and Ryou laughed. "You have to admit, Jou. That _is_ quite true." The beast master said between giggles. They walked past the blonde and followed Anzu as she led them back to where the food was served, near the front of the tents.

"Aww, Yug! You too?" Jou pouted and crossed his arms. Nonetheless, he followed Yugi and Ryou.

It wasn't long until they reached a circle of people sitting around a low fire. They greeted Yugi and the others a good morning. Upon the fire sat a big black cauldron covered with dark brown stains and cracked at some places. At one side of the cauldron, Malik was cackling loudly in a forced high-pitched voice. He raised one fisted hand then sprinkled what seemed to be black powder into the contents of the cauldron.

"Oh no!" Anzu screamed in horror "MY _STEW_!" She ran to the metal pot and pushed the knife thrower to the ground. She then proceeded to pick what she could of the black powder the other threw. "What did you _throw_ in this, Malik!" she turned furious eyes at him.

Malik rubbed his back, frowning. He turned furious eyes at Anzu and growled. "Hey! What's the big idea?" he screamed, "I was _practicing_ my act!"

"Your act doesn't include playing with cauldrons!"

Malik stood up and crossed his arms. "I need to work on my _crazy_ act." He said in a matter-of-factly voice.

"YOU'RE _ALREADY_ CRAZY!"

Yugi sighed. He approached Anzu and took the ladle from her hands, which was left unnoticed because of the fuss. He took a bit of the stew and tasted it with a finger. "I think it was pepper, Anzu. It's nothing bad." He interrupted the argument, "I think Malik made it better e…ven…."

Anzu snatched her ladle from Yugi and frowned at Malik. "Well, don't try and mess with my cooking again!"

"Killjoy witch!" Malik stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry at the girl. "Good morning, Yugi!" he turned to the beast master and smiled. "Yugi?"

The beast master stared at the horizon. He squinted his eyes, "I think I see something coming here." He leaned forward, cupping a hand over his eyes. Soon, they heard the loud rumble of running horses and distinct clang of steel upon steel: armor. _Is that…?_

"IT'S THE PALACE GUARDS!" Somebody shouted from behind.

Instantly, the circus performers stood up and threw whatever they had in their hands to the ground, spilling the stew. They started screaming and running in panic. As far as they know, when guards come to their circus it would mean only one thing: they were going to be arrested.

But Yugi stood in his place. He didn't know what to do and Jou's constant shouting about his other self sending the guards helped little to calm him. The next thing he knew he was being hoisted into the air and thrown back, towards the closing riders. He saw a blonde haired man smirking at him then running away. It was Keith.

A loud neigh interrupted his thoughts. Yugi looked up and he gulped loudly. "I-I-I-I'm s-s-so-sorry…."

"…Yugi?"

- - -

Seto had a problem. A big one. And it came in the form of a red-eyed king with tri-colored hair.

Atemu was a selfish young man who was used to having _everything_ in his will followed. The king was spoiled, that was something he was not going deny since he was one as well (and that was something he _will_ deny) but the king was twice, maybe ten times more spoiled than he was.

His cousin had become better, less spoiled, and more responsible when he ascended onto the throne. It was two years before the end of the millennial war, a few months after the death of Atemu's father, the previous king. Atemu was 13 and the newly chosen wielder of the millennium puzzle. He had stopped the war, ended the battle and assumed the throne. He saved the people and regained the right to call his city the capital.

Atemu was a great hero but he was not a good leader.

And now, their king had asked, no, _ordered_ the circus' presence in the palace. The order would've been denied had it been something Atemu had little interest in, like the king's request to watch the performance. He suspected that Atemu simply wanted an excuse to sneak out of the palace which was why he let his viziers tie him down.

But Atemu set his foot down. He said he _needed_ to get the circus. The only thing the vizier could do was to push it down to a few performers and leave the rest. He had his suspicions about the circus, especially the ringmaster with his one visible eye. The only thing that was saved from his scrutinizing eye was the beast master. After all, the beast master had saved his brother and let him go when he could've brought Mokuba to the ringmaster for trespassing punishment. The circus would've gotten more profits by that action.

Seto sighed. He stood up and paced across his room, towards the tall glass windows at the side. Deep blue curtains rimmed with gold and held back by golden tassels hung over the windows. From his place, he could see the wide balcony of Atemu's bedroom. He frowned.

From where he stood, he saw the king leaning on the intricate cement railings of the balcony, probably running away from duties he deemed useless and worthless. Seto didn't need to follow his cousin's gaze to know what he was looking at: the distant red flag of the circus tents.

_Is the circus the show he was looking for…?_ , Seto wondered, snorting in disapproval. _I admit it's unique but it's too…untamed._ , He looked back at his cousin, who shifted back and stretched out his arms. "But then, _he's_ untamed as well."

To him, the circus was nothing but a child's show that was too lowly for royal blood like his kin. He was the 15th ascender of the throne, behind a long line of half-bloods that married into the family, and he was Atemu's most trusted adviser. He had no time to waste on clowns juggling food with each other.

With a sigh, he turned back to his desk. All he needed to do was wait for the guard envoy he sent and hope that Mokuba doesn't cause trouble.

- - -

It was a shock so big and unexpected that Anzu, in fact, fainted. Mai and Shizuka carried her to the carriage they shared where Anzu stayed for the rest of the day. It was Shizuka who took care of her until she woke up.

The knights came bearing an order from the palace. It was Mokuba who delivered it and stopped the circus from running away and defending themselves. He was riding with one of the knights and got off the stallion with the help of the guard. He grinned and helped Yugi, who was sprawled in front of the army of horses, stand up.

The next thing they knew, the knights had galloped away and Pegasus had come out of his tent, ordering Yugi, Ryou and Keith to get ready. When asked, he proudly proclaimed in an eerie droning voice that they were invited to perform in the palace. He then announced one empty slot in the group going to the palace since only five were invited.

The rest of the circus drew lots and Malik was the lucky one. He raced back into his carriage and started packing his knives.

It was a few hours past noon when the little circus group set their way towards the palace. Yugi had left specific instructions about the animals, which included one don't-let-Jou-near-the-animals rule. He rode upon the hunched backs of Remus, the hellhound, while Malik lazily lounged on the hellhound's twin's back. Up in the skies was the distant silhouette of their red-eyed black dragon.

They had taken one carriage which Ryou drove, his head bobbing up and down as he attempted to stay awake. He had put a spell over the carriage so that it could hold all their luggage and crates. The breakfast stew was getting to him and he felt sleepy as they paraded through the town.

The ringmaster stood upon the red wooden roof of the carriage, animatedly promoting the circus while Keith flaunted his strength with the women around. Camelot, the black dragon, would swoop down low enough that his wings would create a strong enough breeze to capture the attention of everyone in the road.

The rugged and dull houses of the working class soon disappeared into the vast houses and great mansions of the elite. Soon, they reached the palace.

The white brick walls that surrounded the wide palace gardens shielded both commoner and rich from the beautiful green decorated the shining white castle in the middle. It was quiet and solemn even with the soft chirping of birds. To Yugi, who sat up in awe, it seemed that the palace walls itself were whispering about its greatness that even Malik and Ryou were wide awake.

A figure clothed in elegant blue robes stood upon the palace steps. Yugi immediately recognized him as Mokuba's brother, Seto Kaiba, the vizier who watched their show and arrested his look-alike.

_I hope he doesn't mistake me for my other self._ , Thought the beast master. _I wouldn't want to spend my night in jail._ , He shivered slightly at the thought as he tightened his grip on Remus' short mane.

The vizier looked over the circus performers. He paused slightly at Yugi and for a second, Yugi thought he saw shock in the other's eyes but it was gone the moment the vizier blinked.

Seto cleared his throat and turned around, "Use the gardens to set up your tents." He pointed to the vast empty lot of grass on his right. "If you need help, you can call the servants at the back." He brought his finger into the palace, indicating straight through the halls. Then he vanished into the maze-like ways of the palace.

They led the carriage to the indicated lot. Ryou jumped off the carriage just as Yugi and Malik got off the hellhounds. They all turned to Pegasus for instructions they knew what will be but still needed to hear. The ringmaster crossed his legs and looked below, from the roof of the carriage.

"One of you get help from the palace servants." Pegasus waved a hand at Yugi and Malik, "Ryou, take out the luggage. Could you get a chair first?" he smiled eerily at the boy. "And Keith, come with me. I need to discuss something with you." He jumped off the carriage and landed in perfect balance in front of Ryou. He walked away, Keith tailing behind him.

With a sigh, Ryou opened the carriage doors and dragged out two stools from inside. He smiled at Yugi and Malik then brought the chairs to the ringmaster and Keith.

"I'll go get help from the servants." Yugi said quickly, ignoring the pout that appeared on the knife thrower's face. "You _can't_ go, Malik. You get lost easy and you're not really _that_ friendly with all your…uh…precious knives." He said.

Malik sighed. He put his palms on his waist and said, "Fine. I'll stay here and help Ryou."

"Okay." Yugi turned around and started running towards the palace. Then he stopped, "Oh, and don't forget. Mokuba might come and visit. Don't be mean to him, okay?" he waved a finger at the knife master. He knew how uncontrolled the other could be.

"Moku-who?"

The beast master frowned. "You know, _Mokuba_. He was the little kid who came with the knights and delivered the order."

Malik nodded slowly, "Oh. _That_ kid." He said, "Don't worry about that. We'll be nice!"

With a sigh, the beast master entered the palace, going straight to the back without any detours.

- - -

"The circus is here, your majesty."

Atemu nearly jumped from his throne. With a grateful smile, he sent the messenger away and he went to his room, straight to the large overlooking balcony. From there he could see the miniscule figures of the circus and their carriage. He grinned.

"The beast master should be there." Said Atemu. It was hard to miss the black sheen of the dragon lounging near the carriage and the howls of the fiery red hellhounds. He turned back to his room and looked at the mirror with a smile. "And I could finally pay my debt."

He wasn't sure he could recognize the young beast master. Clear lilac eyes and pale skin were the only features Atemu could see from the beast master's costume last night. He remembered the height and the slightly annoyed tone of the little one's voice as well and nothing else. He didn't even know the other's name.

But he knew the beast master would recognize him.

Atemu walked out of his room, feeling happier than he could remember. Now, he had to go down and meet the circus.

- - -

Ryou sighed. He was, yet again, stuck with unloading their luggage. Malik was there to help but he didn't trust him well enough to not mess with his dimensional spell and so, he let the knife thrower work with placing the luggage Ryou would take from the carriage.

He could handle Malik well but he didn't know if he could handle _another_ troublemaker without Yugi.

"What are you doing here, Jou?" The wizard hissed. He pushed the blonde jester deeper into carriage and glanced at their ringmaster. Thankfully, Pegasus seemed to be focusing on his conversation with Keith. "Pegasus is going to _kill_ you, you know!"

Jounouchi laughed nervously. He rubbed the back of his head and whispered, "Well, I couldn't help it. _I_ was supposed to go with you but Malik and I changed draws." He shot an angry look at Malik who only replied by sticking out his tongue.

Ryou sighed. He dragged Jou off the carriage and to the side where Pegasus couldn't see them. "You're messing my dimensional spell." He scolded in as hard a voice as he could though it still sounded soft to Jou's ears. "You _do_ know that you _can't_ hide from Pegasus. He'll find out and you'll be in trouble."

The jester laughed once again. "Yeah. I know." He shrugged his shoulders, "It sounded like a good idea before. Whatever Pegasus can punish me with, the palace would be worth it but now…uhm…I guess not?" he shifted from one foot to another. "By the way, where's Yug?"

"Oh. He went to get help from the palace servants." Ryou said as he passed a thick and heavy roll of cloth to Malik who put threw it over to the chests beside the carriage. "He should be here soon."

"Yugi!" Malik's enthusiastic voice called the attention of the jester and the wizard. The knife thrower jumped up and waved his arms wildly in air, "What's with the clothes? Do they give you a make-over when you enter the palace? I want one too!" he cackled loudly.

A young man approached them dressed in white silk rimmed with silver. A long scarf dyed in such a vibrant red that it stood like blood on the man's robes wrapped around his neck, making it look like a long cape as its trails flowed as he walked. Gold jewelry studded with rubies of different sizes decorated his body.

The hairstyle was the same but this definitely wasn't the beast master.

_Taller…and crimson-eyed…._ , Jou frowned. He leaned towards Ryou and whispered, "This must be the look-alike Yugi was talking about." He nodded towards the young man, "Why's he dressed like that though? You don't think this is what happens to people who get arrested in the capital, do you? If so, then _I'd_ like to get arrested."

The wizard shook his head, "I don't think he was arrested, Jou." He replied. For a moment, his chocolate eyes met with blood red and he saw a hint of anger and shock. He looked away, feeling awkward under the young man's gaze. "He seems…like someone important." He pointed to the envoy of guards trailing behind.

"Drat." The jester huffed then crossed his arms. "Then I _can't_ get arrested, now can I?"

The young man passed his eyes over the group of performers a couple of times as though he was looking for something. A solid stern frown met the performers and somehow, they felt the need to bow before him. "There is no one else?" the deep smooth voice the man asked.

"No – I mean, there's still one of us. He went to get help from the palace servants." Answered the wizard in a soft voice. Ryou, like Jou and Malik, refused to meet the young man's eyes – the knife thrower had directed his attention to the luggage instead of the young man.

The beast master's double walked passed them, nodding to indicate he heard the message. "The beast master?" he turned to Ryou who nodded instantly, "I saw the dragon and…_those_ things." He pointed to the hellhounds. Slowly, he approached the red beasts.

"Uhm, sir? I don't think you should approach them…." Ryou called, "They might attack you and…Yugi's the only one who could control them…."

Atemu smirked. He finally knew the beast master's name. "But surely, these beasts can't be _that_ wild."

"NO! They're wild alright!" Jou exclaimed, shaking his head exaggeratedly. "Them nasty little beasts! Once, they attacked me while I was eating my dinner. If Yugi wasn't there, I would've been mutant dog chow!" he said, telling the story mostly to Ryou and Malik instead of the young man.

Then a loud roar interrupted them. With a growl, the hellhounds leapt towards Atemu, their sharp white fangs flashing in the afternoon light.

"YOUR MAJESTY!"

- - -

Yugi had been to many places already. Some of them treated the circus with such vigor and excitement that they themselves performed for the performers. Some were so angry that they'd throw rotten vegetables at them then chase them away with torches.

But he had never been to a palace. He had nothing to compare this place to but he knew that it was…unusual.

He had reached the servant's quarters quite easily. He approached one of them, tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "Excuse me, we need some help setting the tents please. It's for the circus." Then came the horrifying part.

The servant screamed and jumped away. He kneeled down and bowed close to the hard and cold stones of the palace floors. Behind him, the rest of the servants stopped and bowed the same way as he did.

"I'm sorry, your majesty. We didn't see you there." Came the shaking reply of the man. "Please do not punish us for our incompetence, your highness." The statement was echoed by the servants behind him.

For a moment, Yugi couldn't breathe. He crouched down and put a hand on the shoulder of the man in front of him. "Oh, please don't do that. All I'm asking for is a bit of help for setting up the circus tents. Just a few of you would do, could you do that, please?"

A chorus of gasps echoed through the chamber. The servants whispered with each other in loud hisses until one voice shouted, "The king is sick! We must take him to the infirmary!" and then they all stood up. About half a dozen of them grabbed Yugi by the elbows and dragged him away.

"Wh-what? What king?" Yugi tried to get loose from the grasps of the servants only to have them tighten their grips. Whimpering, he was dragged through the palace, turning left and right through random hallways that Yugi almost felt dizzy.

Then a loud scream of "YOUR MAJESTY!" stopped the servants' steps. Yugi took the opportunity to release himself from the death grips of the servants and ran past them, covering his ears to block away the sounds of their protests.

Yugi ran through the halls, following the same path that the servants took. He could hear the clash of spears and the shouts of his friends. He ran faster when he heard the fierce growls of the hellhounds. _I hope they're not hurting anybody._

He rushed to an open window. From there, he saw the distant figures of the hellhounds rushing towards a man. The beasts tackled the person the ground. With a gasp, he jumped out of the window. Luckily, he was at ground level but still, he tripped on the sill and sent himself falling onto the bushes.

"Remus! Rome!" Yugi shouted as he struggled to get up but the howls of the hellhounds ate up his meek voice. Then he did the only thing he could think of next. He pressed two fingers onto his lips and blew as hard as he could. A high-pitched whistle cut through the air and all eyes turned to him.

"Yugi!" the relieved voices reached the beast master's ears.

The hellhounds wagged their tails excitedly at the sight of the beast master but Yugi wasn't pleased. He pushed past the hellhounds and pointed to the end of the garden, just in front of the castle walls. The hellhounds hesitantly walked to the place and sat down like obedient dogs.

Yugi turned to the man they attacked and stretched out his hand. "I'm so sor—" He gasped, eyes wide as saucers.

Atemu looked at the other in shock. He recognized the lavender eyes and, by height, he knew that this was the beast master. He never expected him to look like himself and now, he knew why the beast master was so surprised to see him. With a slight shake of his head, he took the offered hand.

"Y-Y-You're the guy from last night's show! The person the vizier _arrested_!" Yugi exclaimed as he helped his other self stand up. Only then did he notice the high class clothes the other was wearing, so different from last night (though now filled with muddy paw prints and ripped into tiny pieces), and he blushed. This man couldn't have been arrested. It was stupid of him to think so.

"Your majesty! Your majesty!" Guards and healers rushed to the king's side. They pushed the beast master none too gently out of the way and Yugi stumbled towards his friends.

_Your majesty…?_ , Yugi thought as he leaned onto the carriage, just beside Ryou and Jou. _Come to think of it, Mokuba called me that as well._ , his eyes grew wide in realization. "He's…that person…he's the king…isn't he?" he turned Ryou who forced a smile and nodded.

Yugi looked back at his other self and chewed on his lip. He hoped that the king, his other self, would not be offended enough to send them out of the palace. He didn't want to be the reason for the circus to be kicked out.

He definitely didn't.

"And Jou? Why are you here?"

* * *

The anti-matter thing is…uhm…physics though I used it in a different way in the story. It's real. It does, my dears, exist. My class had a fad about it when we learned it, using anti-this and anti-that for everyday talk. It was fun XS I'd sooner meet my anti-me and disintegrate XDXDXD

There's no love-at-first-sight thing because I think it's overused XS And besides, I like complicating things though the plot of this story is less entangled than my Naruto fic...that causes me everyday mental pain :) Anyway, between Atemu and Yugi, there's interest but it's more like the person-that-tripped-on-the-sidewalk interest XP

And, I finally decided _not_ to write Jou's accent. It's...too much hell XP

Thanks to: **Baka Shojo**, **HOPPY-SAN2345**, **Inami**, **Angel's Charm**, **KagomeGirl21**, **biacebaolck**, **SailorSaturnthesilencer**, **tai'sgirl23**, **DaakuKitsune** and **sarahryoulover4ever** (especially for pointing out the grammatical error :D)


	4. IV : A Thousand Wills

**For Play**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** (AU) All Yugi wanted was to gain his freedom. All Atemu wanted was a good entertainment. All chance wanted was for them to meet and a circus was more than willing to help. YYY.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance

**Pairings:** (main) YYY, (sub) BR, SJ, MM

**Disclaimer:** Kazuki Takahashi owns YGO.

**Note:** Finally, the plot's here. Plot because I _can't_ make PWPs. I've tried and I'm too worried about the how's and the why's to actually finish one XS That and the annoying smiling face of my perfectionist English prof haunts my thoughts. I can practically see him laughing his ass off XD

* * *

**IV. A Thousand Wills**

Yugi sat upon the soft cushions, his knees locked together as he tried to exercise as much proper posture as he could remember. He toyed with his fingers, clasping them together tightly then stretching his palms in one soft clap before finally settling with folding them neatly above his knees. He chewed softly on his bottom lip and stared at his lap. Then, with hesitant eyes, he looked up.

"Uhm, excuse me…." He started in a meek voice, "…Yo-yo-your majesty…?" he called, this time with more force in his voice.

The king stood silently beside the neatly tied curtains of the terrace doors. His crimson eyes were focused on what he could see from the small part of the circus that rested upon the palace lawns. He sighed then turned back to the beast master, smirking as the young one quickly turned away when their eyes met.

With proud and elegant steps, he walked towards the beast master, "It's Yugi, isn't it?" he asked and the boy nodded, "Those beasts of yours…what kind of spell do you have on them?" he stopped in front of his younger look-alike, his shadow casting an intimidating shade at the other.

Yugi gulped too audibly for his own liking. Slowly, he looked up and met the sharp crimson of his other self's eyes. He remembered quite well their accidental meeting last night and those eyes were much warmer, less frightening than what it was today. _Maybe intimidation is part of being a king?_ , he thought absent-mindedly.

"Yugi?" Atemu called, raising an eyebrow at the sudden freezing of the beast master.

"Uhm, ye-yes."

Atemu frowned. He liked it better when the beast master knew nothing of his position, like last night. The beast master never stuttered in front of him and even had the gall to knock him off his high horse – achieving so without sounding the least bit stubborn…unlike a certain blue-eyed vizier he knew. He had always expected to feel a sort of animosity towards people who do not pay him respects but he found nothing of the sort for his little look alike.

With a sigh, Atemu placed his hands behind his back and said, "You are not arrested, Yugi. I'm not interrogating you. It was just a question." _A question that you're required to answer but at least, I'm not pressuring you, am I?_ , He moved to a nearby armchair and sat down, leaning forward.

Yugi sighed in relief, his shoulders relaxing with his back, "The circus isn't going to be kicked out of the palace then." He placed a hand over his chest and smiled. Feeling braver and calmer, he looked up, letting his amethyst eyes meet the crimson orbs that he suddenly found not so scary anymore.

"Whatever made you think that?" Atemu laughed, falling back on the soft exterior of the backrest. "First you thought _I_ was arrested by my _own_ vizier and now you believe I'm going to send away your circus when it was _I_ who wanted _you_ to be here in the first place." He rested his elbow on the armrest, chin placed upon an open palm, and said, "You're quite an interesting person, beast master."

Yugi felt his face go red and he frowned as much as he could but only succeeded in pouting. "I was worried." He said as though it was normal to be worried about people he had only met once in his life. "And it's not _my_ circus. Pegasus is our ringmaster. He owns it. Not me."

For a moment, Atemu froze and let the hand his chin was resting upon move so that his fingers covered his mouth. _This person…was worried about me? How long has it been since someone said that to me?_ , he stared blankly at those big lilac orbs, subconsciously leaning to the side as he did.

Atemu was a leader and a hero. He was the one who did the saving; _he_ was the one who worried _not_ the other way around. He frowned. Somehow, he felt a bitter bile of words threaten to leave his mouth. _I don't need others to worry about me…but…I guess…it feels kind of…nice._ , Then he turned his head away, away from those worried velvet eyes.

"Your majesty?" Yugi called. His other self had suddenly became quiet and Yugi wondered if he had said something wrong, something that caused the other to act like this. Shaking his head, he stood up and crouched in front of the king, "Your majesty? Are you okay?"

_Saying your majesty all the time…I wonder if people ever get tired of it. It's as if he doesn't have a name at all._ , Yugi pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth, feeling a slight distaste at his call for the king. "Are you feeling alright?" again, he asked. He hoped that his other self wouldn't mind if he didn't call him "your majesty" once again.

Atemu snapped out of his little and jerked his head towards the beast master, glaring instinctively at the person.

Yugi stumbled back, startled at the sudden intensity in the other's eyes. "S-so-sorry…your majesty." He moved back to the couch and fell quite loudly onto the cushions. "I was just worried…that you suddenly spaced out…your majesty." He added quite hesitantly.

The crimson-eyed king paused, blinked then broke into a soft smile. "You don't need to worry about me, little one. I'm strong enough on my own." He shook his head, denying himself of the pleasant tug on his chest every time the beast master would worry. "So about those beasts of yours? What kind of spell did you put on them? It's unusual for such creatures to remain obedient to one person alone."

Yugi returned the smile, regaining his previous confidence. "Oh, there's no spell, sir." He flapped a hand, shaking his head in denial, "The animals have always listened to what I say…just as long as I listen to them." He nodded enthusiastically, forgetting, in that second, that he was in presence of the king. "And I'm not the only one they follow. Pegasus also has control over them. After all, he's the one who captured them."

Atemu tilted his head to the side. He remembered the ringmaster well and the annoying whining voice that kept ringing in his ears but he never seemed the type to be able to control such creatures. Then again, Yugi didn't look it either. "Your ringmaster captured your beasts?" he asked for confirmation.

The beast master nodded, "Yes, the beasts have always been mesmerized by him. _He's_ the one who casts a spell on them, I think." He turned his head down, pushing his lips onto his loosely clenched fist, "He always seems to be able to tell what's on our minds – I think he does the same with the animals."

"Reading your minds…?" The king repeated. It sounded vaguely familiar to him. He knew of one object that could grant such powers but it was lost during the war. Maybe there was some other way to gain such abilities, like how this beast master had a natural charm for the animals.

Again, Yugi nodded, "I'm not sure how he does it. I think it has something to do with his other eye, the one hidden beneath his hair." He raised a finger and pointed to his eye. "I've only seen it once though, just barely."

Atemu leaned forward, "Can you describe it?"

Yugi blinked, wondering why the king had suddenly become interested about their ringmaster. "Yes." He said in a confident tone, "It was a golden—"

The loud crash of brass and wood onto stone interrupted the two. Crimson and amethyst orbs turned to the doors, meeting cold steel blue.

- - -

Seto Kaiba strode through the corridors, loud footsteps resonating through the wide halls of the palace. Every servant quickly ducked out of the way, not wanting to meet the intense glare the vizier had in his eyes. If the vizier was walking around in such a bad temper, it could only mean one thing: their king have done something out of the line once again.

Seto couldn't believe it. His cousin had once again achieved to slink into his nerves. A part of him had hoped that the presence of the circus would at least calm his cousin from causing him mental pain but instead, the circus seemed to bring out the worst out of the king.

And now, after nearly being killed by a couple of mutated mutts, the king had the gall to bring the beast master to his _room_ when there were a million places in the palace he could've went to. Seto couldn't understand his cousin at all…not that he tried to in the first place.

"_How_ could somebody like _him_ be the _ruler_ of a country?" Seto murmured to himself. Just one more turn and he could finally view the golden-lined crimson doors of his cousin's bedroom. But then heavens seemed to frown upon him today.

He felt his foot get caught upon something solid yet soft and the next thing he knew, he was sprawled on the ground, tangled with his own robes. Quickly regaining his posture, he stood up and smoothened his robes then glared at the cause of his fall, "What kind of idiot—"

"Hey! That _hurt_! Watch where you're going!" There, _lying_ stomach first on the carpeted halls of the palace was a blonde young man, peeking at the guards positioned in front of the king's doors from behind the corner. His dirty tunic contrasted greatly against the crimson carpets that looked and smelled brand new.

Seto hissed loudly. He was not in the mood for arguments with low class beings that probably had brains smaller than dogs'. He glared at the mop of blonde hair on the ground, blue eyes meeting with furious chocolate orbs. "Who put this _dog_ on the floor? We _don't_ need talking _rags_." He looked around for a servant to yell at but found nobody around.

"Oh shut up!" the blonde ordered, dragging the other's robes to the side, "I'm _trying_ to be quiet here, you know! And I'm not a doormat, stupid!" his voice wheezed into a loud whisper. He huddled closer to the wall one of the guards glanced his way.

Seto resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he kicked the blonde roughly on the sides, "This is no place of _ruffians_ like _you_. The guards should take care of you." He walked forward, intending on calling the attention of the guards but the blonde grabbed his ankle and pulled his back quite forcefully.

"Hey, hey! I'm invited here!" protested the young blonde, "I'm from the circus, you dummy. And I'm crouched down because Yug doesn't look down when he looks around."

"You were _not_ part of the circus that came here." Seto retorted, wondering vaguely why he was arguing with a mutt such as this. "Though a _dog_ like you would fit well within such an _absurd_ group."

The blonde sat up, glaring with all his might at the vizier, "Stop calling me a dog! I have a _name_ you know! It's Jounouchi Katsuya and you better remember that!" he pointed a furious finger at the brunette. He crossed his arms in defiance, puffing his cheeks slightly in anger, "And I _am_ part of the circus! I'm one of the jesters, okay?" he puffed his chest proudly.

Seto raised an eyebrow in question. He did remember seeing one of those clowns sport blonde hair like this one had but with the mask and the painted face, it was hard to tell whether the young man was telling the truth or not. "What? You're one of those clowns? Enjoyed throwing pies at each other's faces?" he sneered.

Jou gasped loudly, eyes burning so furious that they looked like charcoals. He stood up sharply and growled at the other, "I AM _NOT_ A CLOWN!" he shouted, calling the attention of the guards at the door. "It's _jester_. I do _not_ throw pies!"

"Jesters and clowns are the same." Seto spat back, shaking his head in annoyance. Why _was_ he letting himself be held back by a pathetic mutt like this one?

"Excuse me, vizier? Is there a problem here?" The jingle of armor caught the attention of the two as one of the guards jogged towards them, his spear held securely at one hand.

Seto shook his head and pushed past the guard, "There's no problem here at all. _I_ am here to see his _majesty_." With one last glance at the furious face of the blonde, he strode towards the crimson doors of the king's chambers. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to soothe that upcoming headache.

"Hey! Come back here! I ain't finished talking with you yet!"

A clang of metal and crash later and Jou was tagging behind the brunette, shouting insults and complaints as he did.

Seto twitched. _Why…is this dog…FOLLOWING me!_ , he refused to turn around and yet his anger was evident with his stomping footsteps and steel blue eyes. He slammed the crimson doors open in such a strong force that he wouldn't be surprised to see a crack or so on the walls the doors had hit.

Crimson and amethyst orbs met his furious eyes. He glanced at the beast master before sending his full glare at his cousin, "_What_ are you doing, Atemu?"

The two had at least a couple feet of space between them and from the looks of it, he had just interrupted a conversation…not that it mattered. After all, whatever the beast master would say could not be more important than his own words.

"Yes?" Atemu said in an annoyed voice, "Yugi and I are simply _talking_ until you came and interrupted us."

"In your _chambers_? When there's a million different places in the palace to go to?"

Atemu shook his head, rolling his eyes. "A million different places but none of them would give me the privacy I wanted." He stood up, throwing his hands in the air, "The only place that _anybody_ would leave me alone is in _my_ room. Where else would I go for a _private_ conversation?"

Seto sighed, massaging his temple with his fingers, "In the first place, _your majesty_, you are _not_ supposed to talk to the beast master much less bring him into your room." He turned to the beast master who jumped slightly at the sudden attention, "You are dismissed. And you can take _that dog_ out there with you." He jabbed a finger to his back.

Yugi quickly stood up, nodding vigorously at the vizier. He grabbed a growling Jou and dragged him out of the room, flashing a shy and hesitant smile at the king before leaving the room.

Atemu watched until the beast master was gone, returning the smile given to him with a smirk of his own. "You shouldn't have made Yugi go." He crossed his arms, glaring at his cousin, "He was about to tell me something important."

Seto raised a brow in disbelief. "Like what? How to tame rats and cats?"

The crimson-eyed king frowned, "No." he said sharply, "I think he may know where the millennium—" Atemu stopped. He put a hand over his mouth, eyes clouded in deep thought. "No, it's nothing." He shook his head.

The vizier narrowed his eyes towards his cousin. He heard the king's words quite clearly and he knew it had something to do with the millennium items. All of them have been locked somewhere within the palace…except one, that is. The only item they could not seal away was the millennium eye. "The beast master has it?"

"No, I said it was nothing." Atemu answered sharply. He moved past his cousin, "I was just about to pay him for that ticket he gave me." He said quickly, waving a hand to brush away any other notions.

Seto frowned. If it was something about the millennium items, he had the right to know. After all, he was the wielder of the millennium scales. "Atemu." He called, "Where are you going?"

The king stopped and looked at his cousin over his shoulder. "Aren't you the one who always bothers me with my duties? And now that I'm going out to tend to them, you get that tone. _Decide_ yourself, Kaiba." He smirked then left without another word.

Seto sighed. He would let the king leave for now. What was more important was the millennium items. Surely, if the millennium eye was within the beast master's possession, Atemu would take it away – especially if it poses danger.

But then, not many could handle such powerful items. Was the millennium eye…in a stagnant state? Then, it wouldn't be dangerous, would it?

- - -

"Excuse me? Is Yugi there?"

Ryou turned around, stretching his back slightly as he stood up. He blinked a couple of times then smiled brightly at the mop of black hair that peeked from behind the carriage. "Oh, it's Mokuba, am I right?" he wiped his hands on the front of his trousers and jumped from the carriage steps.

Behind the magician, the palace servants were busy setting up the stage and the miniature version of their circus tent. Malik stood in the middle of the mess, happily ordering around the servants what to do and where to put their things. At the far end of the lawns, Pegasus sat upon a chair, drinking what seemed to be tea with Keith.

Mokuba nodded, looking quite pleased to know that he was recognized. "Yeah, that's right. And you're the magician, right?" he asked enthusiastically.

The albino laughed, "Yes, you can call me that. I take care of the abracadabra part of the show." He walked towards the raven-haired boy, "I'm Ryou Bakura." He extended his hand in friendly manner, smiling his ever soft smile.

Chuckling to himself, Mokuba shook the magician's hand. "Nice to meet you then. Is Yugi there?" he turned to look past the carriage, glimpsing the ringmaster and Keith. Ryou seemed a nice enough person but he preferred to talk to someone whom he could meet at eye level. It's bad enough having a brother who's practically the tallest person around.

Ryou shook his head, "Sorry. He's not here. He was summoned by his majesty." He sighed in worry. Jou had sneaked away to follow the beast master – mostly to escape Pegasus but the jester was capable of watching over their friend. For the meantime, at least.

Mokuba tilted his head to a side. "His majesty? _Why_? Did something happen?"

"Ah…it was an accident. The hellhounds attacked the king when his majesty tried to approach them." Ryou explained, his shoulders dropping at the memory. "But Yugi came in time to stop them from doing any harm…though I think his majesty was offended."

"Mhmm." Mokuba murmured, "That was why brother was so furious a while ago." The incident between the king and the hellhounds was similar to his encounter with the dragon and it was that event that caused his brother to gain the least bit of trust for the beast master. It should do the same with the king, wouldn't it?

"Hey, Ryou." Called a voice from behind the carriage. Out came the knife thrower, throwing his pale blonde head to the direction of the ringmaster. "The ringmaster's calling you."

Ryou jumped slightly. He passed noticeably fearful eyes towards where the ringmaster sat and Pegasus waved at him, smiling eerily. He shivered in distaste. "I'm sorry, Mokuba. I'll get back to you later." He bowed apologetically at the boy before turning to walk as slowly as possible towards the ringmaster.

Malik turned to Mokuba, raising an eyebrow in question. He grinned widely and walked slowly towards the boy, arms tucked behind him. "So…you must be that Mokuba kid, right?" he cocked his head to the side, making his necklace of daggers jingle like bells.

Mokuba gulped. When seen upon the benches, the knife master looked so amazing and cool, throwing his knives with exact precision at his assistant, the red-haired girl. But in person…Mokuba couldn't help but feel a bit scared, especially with the assortment of knives and daggers the other carried around. He found himself taking a hesitant step backwards.

Much to Mokuba's surprise, the knife master laughed. "I was aiming on scaring you but I didn't think it'd work _that_ well." He leaned on the side of the carriage, watching the boy at the corner of his eyes.

"I'm not scared!" Mokuba frowned and glared at the knife thrower, fists clenched tightly at his sides.

Malik raised a brow, casting a doubting look over the dark-haired boy. He carefully ran a hand through all the knives placed around his waist. With a flick of a wrist, he grabbed one of his daggers and let the blade flash over Mokuba's eyes. He grinned when the boy took another step backwards. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. Yugi told us to be nice." He flipped the knife and offered the hilt the boy.

Mokuba glanced from the knife to the smiling face of the knife master then back to the dagger again. He raised his hand and hesitantly brushed his fingers on the smooth wooden hilt of the blade but before he could get a grip on the dagger, it was swiftly returned to where it came from.

"But letting you play with _my_ knives might just be _too_ nice." Malik laughed when the boy glared at him, pouting like the little boy he was. "My name's Malik Ishtar. And you're Mokuba Kaiba. Now we know each other." He shrugged as though the introduction held no importance to him.

Mokuba frowned. The knife master suddenly lost all glory in his eyes but he figured that it wouldn't hurt to talk to the person, especially when his name had piqued his interest. "You know, there's someone who has the same name as yours. Ishtar. She takes care of the archives but she's away right now, somewhere in the west region."

"Oh. That's nice. I'm sure there's another _Kaiba_ out there as well." Malik replied a bit too cold than he intended. As far as names were concerned, he knew he was the only Ishtar left in the world. His clan had been wiped by the previous war and the only person who could've survived had lost all contact with him long in the middle of the chaos.

_The boy must've gotten the names wrong._ , With a careless shrug, he turned his lilac eyes towards the ringmaster at the far end of the gardens, quickly spotting the distinct snow-colored head of Ryou.

Malik saw the wizard shake his head and awkwardly turn his gaze away. Ryou jumped slightly then turned back to the ringmaster who seemed to be explaining – or threatening – him…though Malik would go for the latter. The knife master frowned. When the ringmaster wanted to converse with one of them, it definitely meant something bad. He had always found Pegasus annoying and he was sure the ringmaster knew that.

Only when Ryou finally made a move to return to them did Malik turned back to Mokuba. "What?" He asked at the wide-eyed expression the boy was giving him. "Not used to being ignored? Well, you're a spoiled brat."

Mokuba grumbled, scowling at the knife master. He jerked his head away from the lilac gaze and crossed his arms. He decided that, circus or not, this man was one of the most irritating persons he knew.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Ryou said, as he halted his jog in front of the two, "Was Malik annoying you or something? He does that to a lot of people." He glared the knife master who whistled in an attempt to show innocence but only succeeding in doing the opposite. He nudged blonde lightly on the sides, shaking his head because of his companion's silliness.

"Hey! I _was_ nice!" Malik denied, "I even let the kid _brush his fingers_ on one of _my_ knives!" he pointed to the knives attached to the red sash around his waist.

Mokuba raised one of his eyebrows and blinked. He wondered what would happen if he _did_ confirm the knife master's mischief. He was about to tell on the blonde but Ryou's eyes suddenly lit up and he turned to meet Mokuba's own, conveying worry and seriousness within the chocolate orbs.

"…Mokuba…tell me…the palace treasury is well guarded, am I right?" Ryou asked, chewing his bottom lip out of habit.

Surprised at the question, Mokuba turned doubting eyes at the magician. _Why is he asking about the treasury?_ , He shook his head. _No, Yugi could be trusted. I'm sure they won't try to steal anything._ , He pursed his lips, nodding to himself to assure his decision. "Yeah. The treasury is guarded very well. There's around a dozen guards patrolling and watching over the doors."

Ryou sighed in relief. "I guess that would be okay. I just hope Pegasus and Keith don't do anything too bad." He glanced at the ringmaster, remembering instantly his ability to read minds. "But I'm still worried. Is there any way to make them tighten the security?"

Mokuba blinked. He caught a glimpse of the knife thrower and he looked as clueless as he was. "I'm not sure. Maybe I could talk my brother into it." He said carefully, "As long as there's a good enough reason, I suppose. Why are you asking _all_ these questions?"

Malik nodded, "Was it something Pegasus said?" he said the name with spite, turning for a second to glare at their white-haired ringmaster. The ringmaster flashed a smile and Malik returned a scowl, throwing insults at Pegasus through his mind.

Ryou passed a worried look at both Malik and Mokuba then he nodded slowly. "Pegasus wants to steal something from the palace. I just…I just don't know what."

- - -

Atemu smiled proudly at the open tent of the circus like an artist marveling over his latest and greatest masterpiece. He kept his eyes at the bright lights of the circus that shone brightly under the moonless sky as he walked towards the tent, his envoy of guards and viziers tagging behind him.

He noted vaguely the servants huddling to watch what they could view of the circus from the windows that faced the show's side of the lawns. He smirked and debated whether he should punish these fools for neglecting their duties or let Seto take care of them. Either way, they'd be disciplined.

Right in front of the empty lighted stages, smack in the middle, was a red cushioned arm chair painted in gold. He walked past the wooden benches set for his envoy and elegantly sat upon the special chair.

He looked over his shoulders, scanning the small crowd for his cousin. He was sure that Mokuba would be here since it was the kid who had led the circus to the capital but not his brother. Seto would be caught dead watching such a "wild and childish" show, as the vizier himself put it.

But he couldn't see Mokuba anywhere and he busied himself with trying to spot the vertically challenged young boy.

_Vertically challenged._ , he laughed softly to himself. If Mokuba was called that, then what would he call the beast master? Vertically failed? He laughed a bit louder, causing a few of the viziers to turn to him – all of which he ignored. He turned back to empty stage. _I wonder what Yugi would say about me thinking that._

Thinking back to the beast master, he frowned. He still hadn't given those few coins for the ticket and, to him, it made the king seem poor to not be able to pay a measly circus ticket. And, more importantly, he hadn't told the beast master his name yet. After all, he already had thousands of people calling him "your majesty" and he didn't need another one to do so. He wondered, quite in an irritated mood, if the people who called him such could even remember his name.

A loud bang and a crash later and the king was pulled away from his thoughts. All eyes turned to the stage and Atemu saw, from the corner of his eyes, Mokuba come out from the back with the beast master in tow. The dark-haired boy rushed to the benches while Atemu's twin scuttled into the stage, almost falling to the ground in the process.

Atemu broke into a pleased smile. He rested his chin upon his right hand and watched as the beast master walk to the middle of the stage. The impact the beast master had during last time's show had vanished without the mask and the cloak that completed his dark costume.

To the king, and probably the rest of the audience, Yugi looked nothing like a beast tamer but more like a lost child begging not to be noticed by strangers.

"Uhm…uhm…." Yugi darted his eyes left and right, glancing at the king before turning to the rest of the audience, "L-L-Ladies and gentlemen!" he started, awkwardly spreading his hands into the air. He was used to performing in front of a crowd but in all of his performances, he never once had to _actually_ converse with the audience.

Behind the king, a rush of murmurs and a few laughs was heard but the sudden roar of the red-eyed black dragon caused the audience to be more silent than crickets. The dragon leapt into the air, his sleek black armor shining a deep orange against the circus lights, and landed behind the beast tamer, wings curling almost in a protective embrace over his tamer.

Yugi turned to smile softly at the roaring beast. He pressed his forefinger to his lips and hushed, winking playfully at the ferocious dragon. With a snort, the dragon folded his claws neatly in front of him and rested his head upon them, crimson eyes focused on the viziers and the guards.

Atemu watched the exchange with a bit of amusement twinkling in his crimson eyes but still, he passed a dubious look at the beast master. It was not part of Yugi's role do the introductions. That was something reserved for the ringmaster alone. Was not the ringmaster with them? Or had he known about his conversation with the beast tamer already and had already taken precautions?

But his train of thought was broken once again. This time, not by the circus, but by the distinct high-pitched note that rang through the palace. His eyes grew wide in shock and he stood up, spinning his head towards the source of the noise.

A blinding pillar of light erupted from the far end of the palace and Atemu stood in front of his seat face ash white with shock. He recognized the feel of that pillar of light. It's been five years since he had felt that and he found himself hoping that this was just an illusion, a dream…not reality.

Atemu raised a hand and slowly ran his fingers through his hair. He stood there, watching as the golden trails vanished into the heavens. He didn't know for how long but no one, he knew, would have the gall to touch or talk to him with the intense anger pouring out of his eyes. He knew what the glittering golden light meant: the millenium items, the very treasures he had sealed, had disappeared.

He heard someone shout what had happened ("The chambers have been broken! The items have vanished!") and sent all his viziers, guards and even the servants into panic, trampling each other in an attempt to rush to the scene. All the while the circus stood dumbfounded and still behind the chaos.

For five years, nothing and no one had touched nor affected the millennium chamber. For five years, there had been nothing but stagnant process with those golden items. Until the circus came into town. And suddenly, the millennium items had vanished before his eyes in a pillar of light he couldn't even touch.

Atemu, silent through the whole ordeal, let his hand drop limply at his side. Crimson eyes burning with uncontrolled anger, he walked towards the palace, away from the stupefied and frozen circus. "Arrest them." He said in a cold monotone.

His words cut through the panicked crowd and they all turned to their king, almost falling because of their ruler's anger.

"_Arrest them_." Again, Atemu repeated. He raised one hand and sharply pointed one finger straight at the beast master, not once bothering to look back at the person he had found interesting. With one salute, all of the guards rushed towards the circus, their sheilds and weapons ready for violence.

And Atemu walked away, not hearing any words but his own furious thoughts. Had he looked back he would've seen Yugi looking at him in such a broken gaze before turning his back to the king just as the king turned his back to him.

* * *

_Now_, there's the plot. Just don't expect something grand, like a war or something near it because I ain't making that happen! XS Fighting scenes are hell to write. So yeah, it'll focus on the millennium items – or rather, retrieving them. Atemu got them arrested! Doesn't that just make you want to punch him? Or maybe you could punch me! XDXDXD

Ah, Seto and Jou finally met here. I really like how they met but the one I love the most would be Ryou and Bakura's – you'll see in around a couple of chapters after this :) It would be…well…unexpected. At least, for me.

Oh, and jesters and clowns _really_ are different. Clowns are usually comic relief and silly (though they're usually the main attraction in a circus) but jesters tend to be wittier, giving amusement through their play of words.

Thanks to: **Inami**, **straitjackit**, **Angel's Charm**, **frogger666**, **Kyo lover with little sanity**, **SailorSaturnthesilencer**, **tai'sgirl23**, **annuket**, **Sora Kohaku**, **the Birdster**, **spidy007**, **littlekittykat** and **sarahryoulover4ever**

**annuket:** Oh? Really? That's flattering XS I don't think it's that good but thanks anyway. I think I kinda rushed on posting it. I just wanted to call dibs on the circus thing before someone out there thinks of it XDXDXD Honestly though, _I've_ never been to a circus before. Well, at least not the kind of circus I portray in the story.

**littlekittykat:** Well, this chapter should answer your question, ne? The millennium items are sort of the center of the fic XP

**sarahryoulover4ever:** Aww…hope your grandma gets better. I'm just glad I could make you feel better :) But I know what you mean by the spelling and all. Seeing something wrongly spelled is kinda distracting because it ruins the story. Or maybe that's just me O.o;


	5. V : Crimson Eyed Savior

**For Play**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** (AU) All Yugi wanted was to gain his freedom. All Atemu wanted was a good entertainment. All chance wanted was for them to meet and a circus was more than willing to help. YYY.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance

**Pairings:** (main) YYY, (sub) BR, SJ, MM

**Disclaimer:** Kazuki Takahashi owns YGO.

**Note:** You know, I originally had Seto arrest the circus instead of Atemu but half-way through I noticed that Atemu had little proof of being a king since it's always Seto who takes the responsibilities and makes preventive actions. At least, with what I had written already. How as I supposed to know that you'd react so much with Atemu ordering the arrest? Oh well. It fits and enhances his character. And it's not like he's _torturing_ them or anything. He just threw them in jail, not fed them to wild rambunctious beasts – that's Yugi's forte ;P

* * *

**V. Crimson-Eyed Savior**

The underground palace dungeons were dark and damp and moss clung to the stone blocks that made up the walls of the old cells, making the air thick and hard to breathe. Old and rusted metal bars separated one cell from another, hinges of the gates all squeaky. No windows were open to the outside world that not even the stars could provide light into the cages. The only source of light was the row of flickering torches lined up on the wall across the cages.

Within one of the large cells was the circus, still dressed up in their costumes that were now ripped and dirty. Jou and Malik stood near the metal bars, trying to see what they could of the guards that brought them there. Sitting upon the cold floor, leaning on the stone side of the cage, were Ryou and Yugi, using the magician's cloak as a makeshift blanket.

"Hey! If you're going to lock us up, at least give us some supper!" Jou screamed, rattling the metal bars with all his might. But the only thing that answered his call were the squeak of rats lurking under the torches. He sighed in frustration and started shouting with all his might at the guard, "YOU BASTARDS! WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

Ryou sighed and shook his head. He had been telling Jou to stop screaming because nobody – guards or not – would hear them. He distinctly remembered the long maze-like passages the guards had dragged them through before throwing them into this cage. With that kind of distance, it was impossible for anyone's voice to reach anyone outside the dungeons. "You're just wasting your energy, Jou." He called, but it was useless.

"Give me back my knives! MY PRECIOUS KNIVES! GIVE THEM BACK!" screamed an enraged knife-less knife thrower. Malik shook the bars as hard as he can, even going as far as kicking and slamming his shoulder onto them.

_And there are two of them._ , Ryou closed his eyes and sighed yet again. Jou was enough noise as it is but a knife-less Malik only tripled the screams. "_Malik_." He said but he was, yet again, ignored. He was never good at calming raging beings – humans or beasts. It was Yugi who was good at such things and, usually, the beast master would be talking his way through the two but now….

Ryou pursed his lips, turning worried chocolate eyes at the figure beside him. "Yugi?" he asked, looking at those lavender orbs half hidden under the beast master's arms, "Are you alright?" he put a hand on his friend's back, patting lightly for comfort.

Yugi turned his head sideways so that his eyes met Ryou's and he smiled softly. "Yeah. I'm fine." He said, his voice muffled by his arm, "I was just thinking, you know, if it's okay for me to feel…_betrayed_ by…his majesty." He paused slightly, realizing for the first time that he didn't know the king's name and he never bothered asking all the while wondering what it was.

"You mean your look-alike?" asked Jou, who quickly gave up on screaming the moment the beast master spoke up. He leaned on the rusted metal bars and crossed his arms, "Did something happen? After all, you were a bit happier when I saw you in that guy's room."

"He was happy to leave his look alike, you dumbass." Malik nudged the jester on the ribs, turning to Yugi just like Jou did. "You know, Yugi, it's not like you trusted each other. You don't need to feel betrayed. What you should feel is _anger_ at Pegasus." He scowled, clenching his fists tightly at the mention of the ringmaster.

Yugi sighed, "I guess you're right. We're not really…friends but…" He turned his gaze at his feet, clicking his toes together, "…when we were talking…sometimes he would glare at me…but I like…I _like_ talking to him. Sure, he isn't exactly _kind_ but he didn't treat me any lower than I wanted to be even though he could." he smiled softly, pressing his lips to his knees, "Do you think…do you think it was a mistake to trust him?" he lifted questioning lilac orbs at his friends.

The beast master may not be the best judge of character but he had _never_ been wrong about his trust and to hear him suddenly doubt his own feelings sent the three circus performers into silence. They didn't know what to say, especially when the one in question was the very person who threw them into this cage.

Ryou turned to Jou and Malik, asking silently what they were supposed to answer but the two only look away with shake of their heads. He frowned. If they would not answer soon, the beast master would treat their silence as a yes. "No. It's not like he had us sentenced to death. His majesty must just be distressed."

"Yeah!" Jou nodded his head vigorously, "Besides, don't you always know who to trust? Just because your twin threw us in here, doesn't mean you should doubt yourself." He flashed a goofy grin at the beast master, "We could always doubt your look-alike if you want."

Malik nodded, agreeing silently. "That's right. Trust all you want. You don't need to change for anybody." He glanced at the darkened corridor that led to the outside and sighed, "But I wish we just fought them off instead of getting put to jail. I'm sure Camelot and the hellhounds would be happy to help." He grumbled, scratching the back of his neck hard, "This cage is making me _itchy_." Then, as to emphasize his point, scratched his shoulders as well.

Yugi laughed, his voice making echoes in the barren dungeon. "I'm sorry, Malik, but I didn't want to give his majesty _more_ reason to arrest us. If we _did_ escape, I'm sure they'd send an army after us and the circus would be destroyed." He took a deep breath through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, but I would've _felt_ better if at least one of the guards lost a limb or two." Malik grumbled, crossing his arms in irritation, "The way they caught us, it seemed that we _wanted_ to be caught – that or we're helpless against a bunch of spear wielding metal heads…which we are _definitely_ not." He scratched behind his ears, running his nails through his hair and his arms. "We _really_ need to get out of here or I'd end up having itch spots _all_ my life!"

"I don't know…." Yugi started, pressing his lips to his fist in deep thought. "If we escape now, our names won't be cleared and we'll be pretty much chased out of every town."

"ARGH! It's all that Pegasus' fault! If _he_ hadn't been here, then we won't be stuck in this rusted jail cell in the first place!" Jou pulled on his hair, banging his head loudly between two metal poles. "What in the world did _he_ stole to have _us_ arrested!"

Ryou shook his head. "I have no idea. It must be something important. Maybe he took a family heirloom? But that wouldn't explain that pillar of light…." Being the magician that he was, he knew – more like felt – the presence of magic in that golden light. "…It must be some rare magical item or something."

"Hey, that Mokuba kid said something about having the security tightened, right? Around the treasury?" Malik moved away from the rusted metal bars, glaring at the poles before plopping himself down on the floor, right in front of Ryou and Yugi. He kept his hands clasped tightly together, not wanting to do more scratching.

The magician replied with a long sigh. He shoulders slumped, back falling onto the stone walls of the dungeon. "Right now, I'm not sure if Pegasus and Keith _were_ aiming for the treasury." He turned his gaze at the mossy ceiling of their cell, letting his head hit the wall behind him, "I just hope the palace wouldn't think that _I_ led them astray."

"Oh, but Mokuba's on our side, right?" Jou offered a smile, "We could count on him to back us up!"

Malik rolled his eyes, "That's right. Let's leave our fate in the hands of a thirteen year old boy."

"Hey! He got us into the capital!" Jou exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

"And _that's_ why were locked up in a dungeon with rats for company." Malik snorted, watching as one of the rats ran past him, straight to where the beast master sat, "So…are we going to get out of this place or not? Or would you rather have me die of allergies?" He scratched his neck down to his chest, leaving red marks where his nails went.

Jou mumbled an agreement, "I'm worried about Shizuka. You don't think that they'd send guards to the main tents, would they?" he fidgeted around, pacing back and forth in front of the three.

"There's a chance…." Ryou replied, nervously toying with his sleeves. He just hoped that if they ever did, the guards wouldn't go as far as to trash their tents and leave it in ruins. "We should go to the tents." He said in resolve then he turned his eyes at the beast master, just like the other two did, waiting for Yugi's response.

Yugi closed his eyes, knowing fully well the gazes of his friends that rested upon him. He couldn't deny his excessive worry for the rest of his friends in the main tents and the animals left there. Still, he didn't want their reputations to be stained – it would be the same as killing the circus; they'd be out of audience and hence, out of jobs. And though he, like most of the circus, had no liking for their ringmaster, the circus was still their way of life. Where would they be without it?

With a sigh, Yugi opened his eyes, "Okay. We'll go back to the main tents." He smiled when the three shouted in triumph, "But we have to return to the palace to clear our names." He finished, cutting through the cheers like a hot knife through butter.

The three looked at each other, as though passing a silent conversation within them. Then finally, Jou spoke up, "Fine, as long as we get to fight back if they ever have us arrested again."

Yugi laughed, "Deal." He stretched out his hand, which Jou shook in one swift motion, sealing their deal. With a sly smile, he turned to Ryou, eyes sparkling with mischief, "Now, Ryou, if I remember correctly, you have a lock picking set with you, somewhere within that dimensional spell of yours."

- - -

"I'm surprised." Seto paced through the throne room, pausing in front of the king, "You _actually_ made a move against _your_ circus. You even had the guards sent to the main tents." He himself would've chosen to hold the circus in the palace but not to such lengths as to throw them in the dungeons. "You _do_ know that you've gone a bit too far this time, Atemu."

Atemu stared at the empty red carpets in front of him, chin upon intertwined fingers. He closed his eyes and sighed, "I know." He admitted, surprising the vizier for the second time in a row. "…They – Yugi and the others I've put to jail – they're innocent." He gritted his teeth, hissing in regret.

Seto raised an eyebrow, "I know you're indecisive but suddenly making them innocent is going _way_ too far." He crossed his arms, tapping his finger on his elbow. "They certainly didn't steal any of the items but that doesn't mean they had no hand in it."

He remembered quite well his brother approaching him and asking him to tighten the security around the treasury because there was going to be a robbery. He had asked where Mokuba had gotten the information but the boy simply insisted that Seto do so. And so, the vizier complied, watching personally with the guards. Then the millennial chamber was breached…and it was located far from the underground treasury, at the top of the most inaccessible tower.

_The gall of that circus, going as far as using my brother for their plans!_ , Seto scowled, his eyes straying from the king for that second.

"No." Atemu replied, "_That_ was a well-thought out decision." He lifted his head, using his intimidating gaze to bring his cousin down to his place: as a vizier and nothing more. "You wield one of the millennium items. You should know full well how they work." He straightened his back, a solid frown spread across his lips, "The items are powerful magic. They respond only to their holders and…the other wielders of the items."

Seto knew that well. The millennium items were not toys that anybody could play with. Even Atemu, who owned the most powerful item, could not take in his hands more than two at a time. The items were connected to each other and the activity of one would cause the waking of the others within a close enough range.

They had specifically cast a multitude of protection spells for the millennial chamber along with the extreme level of security that would assure no one – human or not – could approach within fifty feet of the chamber doors. It would take both a powerful spell caster and an elite warrior to get through the tower.

That, and the person (or one of the persons) should be a wielder of any of the millennium items.

"Then you definitely _cannot_ call the beast master innocent." Seto said in the same proud and booming tone as the king, "He has the millennium eye…doesn't he? You've tried to hide this from me before but it was stupid of you to think that I'd _simply_ let it slide."

Atemu shook his head, his gaze never wavering, "I never said it was the beast master." He said calmly, "The millennium eye was – _is_ in the possession of their ringmaster. At least, that's what I think. I haven't confirmed it with Yugi yet."

Seto had nothing against the beast master. In fact, among all of the circus members it was that person whom he trusted the most but he was not someone who could be easily swayed by such shallow personal interest. If the beast master was indeed guilty, then he would not hesitate to punish the boy no matter what consequences.

"But that still doesn't prove their innocence." Said the vizier, "In fact, that only makes their guilt solidify. It was _their_ ringmaster that did the act. They could easily be linked to the stealing."

Again, the king shook his head, causing his cousin to spat back at him in pure anger. "I don't care if you favor the beast master _this_ much! But letting him slide away with such _treachery_ is not only _stupid_ but _careless_!" Seto strode towards the throne, slamming his palms upon the golden armrests of the chair Atemu sat.

But Atemu remained calm. Turning his gaze to the side, eyes hidden beneath half-closed eyelids, he asked, "Tell me, Kaiba, does your brother know anything of the millennium items?" he ran a finger over the edge of his armrest.

Seto moved back, stumbling in his steps slightly. He frowned, narrowing his eyes at the king. It was unusual to see his majesty be so calm in the middle of an argument and be so serious. "No." he replied, deciding, at the moment, that he would entertain Atemu and his out-of-the-blue questions. "I would never let my brother get into—"

"What about the council and your fellow viziers?"

Again, Seto was caught from his blind sight by the question, "No, why would such people know about such a well-kept secre—"

"And the generals? The soldiers in the war? The people of the capital? The people _outside_ the capital?"

The vizier let a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his hair, "No, none of them know of the millennium items much less the power they hold." He passed an annoyed look at the king who simply grinned back at him, "So you're saying that it's impossible for the circus to know the existence of the millennium items?"

Atemu nodded, "And I don't think their ringmaster was the type of person to share that kind of rare power. If the circus knew, I don't think they'd sit down and let their ringmaster share all the glory seeing as how blinding the items themselves are – not unless Yugi and the others are saints who are willing to give everything to their ringmaster but that would be contradicting themselves, wouldn't it?"

Seto frowned. His cousin had, for once, made such a good sense that he could barely find any flaw in the king's reasoning when he usually found a million. "The millennium eye—"

"Yes, it reads minds, doesn't it?" Atemu interrupted, "I'm sure it'd take an extremely powerful wielder to do more and someone like that would be quickly noticed by the temples." He leaned on his palm, crossing his legs out of habit. "And since that ringmaster isn't somebody that powerful, then he couldn't have controlled the millennium items."

"And that was why the items have vanished and neither the ringmaster nor his cohort was anywhere in sight." Seto finished, submitting finally to his cousin's reasoning, "The millennium items have been scattered all around the world because of the unleashed power, stagnant or awake." He hissed, knowing fully well what the next step would be.

"We'd have to gather the wielder of the millennium items." The vizier said in one long sigh. He and Atemu were two of them. There were four more to go, excluding the ringmaster, and Seto couldn't help but hate the idea of seeing those people again. They united out of necessity – it was in the middle of the war, for the sake of peace – not out of choice.

Atemu relaxed, nodding at his cousin in all smiles, "Exactly." He himself was not all pleased with having the wielders come together. All of them could be called into the palace…except one and that one person was somebody he did _not_ want to meet again. If they were to be gathered, Atemu himself would need to be the one to fetch that wielder of the millennium ring and he did not favor a road trip.

Seto knew of the issue between his cousin and the wielder of the millennium ring, and he knew that he'd be left, once again, to take care of the capital. Alone. He did _not_ look forward to that.

"So, what will you do with your circus?" asked the vizier in a tired voice.

The king's eyes flashed as he was brought back to their present issue. He put a hand over his mouth, uncrossed his legs then shifted his weight to the other side. "I guess…." He started slowly, choosing his words more carefully than he usually does, "…the first thing I need to do is…" he smiled, "…apologize."

- - -

Mokuba Kaiba was a spoiled child and, little do people know, he knew that. He was unlike his brother and the king who would spend all their energy denying their faults that they could rarely see at the end of their noses. Like his brother though, he was not someone who would readily admit it. And he knew, that what he wanted, he would get, no matter what means.

"I _want_ to talk to _my_ brother!" Mokuba stomped his feet on the ground, baring his teeth at the armored guards standing in front of the doors to the throne room, "So move out and let me through!"

The guards stood quietly in a rigid stance, eyes focused on the space in front of them. Without once looking at the boy, one of them replied, "His highness and the vizier had strictly ordered that no one shall enter the throne room."

"I know that!" Mokuba screamed, dropping his fists angrily at his sides, "But _this_ is important! I _need_ to tell my brother that the circus is innocent! His majesty _has_ to let them go!" his voice grew high and whiny, and he cleared his throat, glaring at the soldiers who kept ignoring him.

"Fine." Said the vizier's brother, turning his back at the guards, "I'll find _some_ other way." He growled in frustration and ran away from the throne room. He made his way through the halls of the palace, grumbling loudly to himself. With a sigh, he stopped in front of one of the windows, dropping his arms over the pane.

_What am I supposed to do now?_ , He placed his chin upon the stone edge of the window. He turned his head to one side, eyes looking at the tall walls that surrounded the palace grounds and separated them from the town. He _needed_ to free the circus but he didn't know of any way to do so. He had tried approaching the king but it was useless.

"What to do…what to do…what to do…?" Mokuba tapped his finger upon the stone ledge.

On the far end of the palace, exactly at the side that Mokuba's eyes were placed upon, three indistinguishable silhouettes carefully jumped over the walls, landing skillfully upon the soft grass of the castle gardens. Mokuba jerked his head up, narrowing his eyes at figures that darted behind a nearby tree.

Quickly, he turned his head to the hallway, looking to see if anyone spotted them like he did. He sighed in relief. No one but him had noticed. With a smile, he rushed towards the bottom floor, towards the group of trespassers. If they are who he thinks they are, then he'd have found a way to get Yugi and the others out of the dungeons.

After all, where else can you see such acrobatic display? No place other than the trapeze.

- - -

Had they not been trying to be stealthy, Jounouchi would have laughed out loud.

Getting out of the dungeons was so easy, they might as well sleep through it. Ryou had, with a flick of a wrist, unlocked the cages and, much to Malik's joy, they finally went out of their large jail cell, slamming the gates with a loud bang. It was Yugi who led them through the passages, using the stray rats and mice to scout ahead.

To Jou, it seemed like a big joke that he even left a note in the cages, insulting both the king and guards. The pen and the paper was easily supplied by Ryou and Jou couldn't help but wonder just how _many_ things the magician had within his sleeves and in that fourth dimension thing of his. A moment later, Ryou took out a couple of daggers from his sleeves, handing them over to the knife thrower.

"Hey…Ryou? You don't happen to have some food in there, would you?" Jou asked softly as they made their way through the long hallways, Yugi choosing the paths with confidence.

Ryou blinked a couple of times, glancing at the jester over his shoulder. "No." he replied, "They rot." He said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Why?"

Jou frowned. They were exactly two hours and 27 minutes late for their usual supper time, and he was hungry. Not enough to make his stomach complain but he was still hungry and his mouth was more than happy to do the complaints. "I'm hungry. We haven't eaten _anything_ for more than five hours!" he said in his most hushed voice.

Ryou sighed and shook his head. Sometimes, he couldn't distinguish Jou from the silly jester the blonde portrayed. "We're almost out of the palace. Worry about your stomach later."

It had taken them around half an hour to get through the labyrinth of the dungeon and retrieve the items taken from them, which were mostly Malik's knives. On the way, they had take down four lounging soldiers who supposedly had to watch the confiscated items. Malik's perfect throwing skills had easily taken the guards by surprise and Jou's streetwise abilities had finished the job. They tied the guards together with one long rope then doused them with a big dose of sleeping potion – all of which came from the magician's stock.

Dodging the guards was a piece of cake. It was at that moment that Jou realized that there could be no better spy than mice. The guards either ignored the little critters or shooed them away. Some even ran away from the mice – who knew that men in armor could fear little brown creatures? – that Jou couldn't help but snicker a little.

The way out had been so uneventful that the jester had even wished that annoying vizier to appear and spot them, maybe throw in some random annoying comment just to have them running for their lives.

Soon, they finally reached the outside, the stars providing a soft light from the moonless sky. The gardens were dark, having most of their light from the well-lit castle they surrounded. In one straight line, Yugi led his companions through the gardens, towards one end of the towering walls.

They had a simple plan. Go to the circus, explain the situation then go back to clear their names. It would be quick and they'd probably be done by morning – that is, neglecting sleep. They would leave the animals, much to Yugi's dismay, and come back for them later. It would be proof of their return. Not only that, it would be such a bother to go and get the dragon and the hellhounds – it was those creatures that were heavily guarded, not the circus. Had they decided to fetch them, they would have woken the whole palace and long gone would be their chance to clear their names.

"We're almost there." Whispered the beast master, he waved his hand for the others to follow him.

One turn later and they finally faced the edge of the palace. They stared at the tall walls that surrounded the palace, their heads going back as far as they could. But instead of feeling discouraged, they felt relief. This was the last step and they were out of the palace – free.

"Okay." Jou said after one sigh, "_I'll_ climb over this wall." He pointed to a nearby tree. "You just give me a rope." He may not be skilled in acrobatics but he did have enough balance when needed.

Then, as Ryou passed a long trail of rope to the jester from within his sleeves, the one thing they had been trying to avoid just had to happen.

"Yugi?"

Four pairs of eyes whirled to the source of the voice.

- - -

"What do you _mean_ they're not within the dungeons!" Seto paced between the king and the genuflected pair of soldiers. "_How_ can they _not_ be in the dungeons! They cannot simply vanish into _thin air_! Not unless _you_ did not do _your_ jobs properly!" he turned ice-cold orbs at the soldiers, who quickly went stiff.

Then a loud echoing laugh interrupted the vizier.

Seto scowled, whirling his head to the king, "_What_ are you laughing about, Atemu? I don't suppose _you_ had anything to do with this, do you?" his tone was dangerous. The guards knew that well and they found themselves wishing that _they_ could vanish just like the circus.

Atemu shook his head, "No, no. I had _nothing_ to do with it. I've been here all this time. I couldn't have." He smiled a bit too slyly for the vizier's liking.

Seto raised an eyebrow, "Then you were simply laughing because you had something wrong with your brain?"

Again, the king laughed, softer this time. "No, Kaiba. I had simply expected the circus to do something while they were in jail. I just never thought they'd be able to escape, especially this soon." He leaned on his hand, flashing amused eyes at his cousin, "But I guess it's not _that_ surprising. After all, we have a beast tamer, a magician, a knife thrower and a jester together in one cell."

"This is _not_ a laughing matter, _your majesty_." Seto gritted his teeth. He could not see what was so funny about their prisoners escaping. "I don't think their _escape_ helps with their _innocence_." He said, anger evident in his voice. The vizier sighed. His temper had been at its worst these past few days. Sooner or later, he'd get tired of being angry all the time.

Atemu shrugged, "I know." He said, his smile vanishing like it was never there in the first place. With serious eyes, he turned to the guards, who quickly bowed their heads and attempted to look smaller, "Search the castle walls. Once you find them, bring them to me."

If possible, the guards bowed even lower then stood up in one swift motion, pivoting their heels and rushing towards the door in mechanical steps. Then, as they reach the doors, they swung open, barely missing the soldiers by inches.

"Trouble!" said the guard who rushed inside, taking short intakes of breath, "The dragon…the hellhounds…the beast master!" he put his palms upon his knees, pointing outside the throne room with a shaking finger, "Bad…bad…_bad_!" he struggled for more words but found nothing else escaping his mouth.

Atemu narrowed his eyes at the soldier. He couldn't understand what the man wanted to form but he knew that "trouble" and "beast master" together wasn't a good thing. He stood up in one swift motion, his eyes widening in shock. Without another word, he rushed past the guards, through the throne room, straight to the beast master; Seto's protests reaching unhearing ears.

The king just hoped…hoped that nothing bad had happened to the beast master that he'd end up regretting.

- - -

"Anzu?" Yugi gasped loudly, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Long story, Yugi." Anzu laughed lightly. She approached the beast master and gave him a tight hug, "I'm just glad you guys are safe." She smiled at Ryou and Jou who were both jaw dropped and flabbergasted then gave a small nod of acknowledgement to the knife thrower who returned with a shrug. "Mai and Otogi are here with me." She jabbed a finger behind her back.

Yugi's face visibly brightened at the sight of the trapeze performers but his smile was quickly replaced with puzzled worry. "Why?" he asked, "Why are you guys here? Did something happen to the circus?" his eyes grew wide in horror as the three turned their heads away.

"My sister!" Jou pushed Yugi away from Anzu, his eyes shining in panic, "Did something happen to Shizuka! Where is she?" he moved past the blue-eyed brunette and turned to Mai and Otogi. "Mai? Otogi? _What happened_?"

For a moment, there was nothing but silence then Otogi decided to start with one forced laugh. "Don't worry, Jou. Shizuka's safe. She's waiting outside the palace walls with Honda." He clapped a hand on the jester's back, smiling as brightly as he could, "We came here to rescue you!"

Jou growled at the trapeze performer, slapping away the other's hand, "What the hell! They should be back at the main tents!" he threw his arms in the air, running shaking fingers through his blonde locks. He wasn't about to let his little sister – the only family he has left – get hurt, especially when the palace was on their roll of circus arrests.

"What happened? _How_ did you find out _we_ were arrested?" Ryou quickly pushed the long rope back into his sleeves, rushing towards the others like Jou did but his question was yet again avoided.

"Uhm…you see…." Anzu started, twiddling with her fingers – an obvious sign of nervousness, "We…uh…the circus was…uh…."

"His majesty sent some soldiers at the circus, right after he ordered your arrest." A familiar voice interrupted them all. With hurried steps, Mokuba jumped in the middle of the group of circus performers, hushing them all with a finger on his lips. "Keep quiet. The guards might hear you!"

But the sudden knowledge of the circus raid only made Jou, Yugi, Ryou and Malik shout in shock, their voices echoing slightly through the barren lawns.

"A-are you guys alright?"

"Is the circus well?"

"What about the rest of the crew?"

"Did you get away?"

A series of questions were thrown at the trapeze performers and they found themselves having nothing to say. Then Mai sharply sliced her hand between the two groups. "Wait, okay?" she said sharply, "No one got arrested. No one was hurt. Got that?" she glared at the four, "Someone spotted the guards before they reached the tents and everyone panicked and ran away. We – Shizuka, Honda, Otogi, Anzu and I – stayed to get _you_ out of the palace."

It was an uneasy silence that followed. Mokuba, who stood in the middle, shifted his weight from one foot to another, uncomfortable under the stillness of people whom he didn't know – not personally, at least.

"Oh." Malik said, breaking the silence, "We were going to you to warn you about the palace but I guess they got to you first." He laughed a little as the rest followed hesitantly. "Well, now that that's done and over with, we could leave this _humongous_ cage and go far away from the capital!" he spread his arms, indicating the palace walls.

A murmur of agreements ran through the group, Mokuba pushing them to hurry if they wanted to leave.

"No, we can't!" Yugi shook his head and pointed at the high white towers of the castle, "We _have_ to clear our names! Regain their trust! You know we can't survive traveling through the country if we have the capital after us!" he said, sending them all back into silence.

"…Can't you just go get your dragon and the hellhounds then just leave…?" asked Jou quite hesitantly.

The beast master's eyes grew wide. He gasped loudly and put a hand over his mouth. "Oh my…Camelot, Remus and Rome…." Again, he gasped. Then, the next thing the circus crew knew, Yugi was running past them, straight to the palace.

"YUGI! Come back here!" called Anzu.

But Yugi just kept running. He waved a hand at his friends and said, "I need to go to Camelot and the hellhounds!" he glanced at the circus for a split second before focusing back on his steps, "You guys just…stay here! Yeah! Explain to his majesty! Clear our names!"

"YUGI!" Anzu cried in a whining voice.

"…Weren't the beasts being guarded by an army of soldiers…?" It was Ryou who softly asked the question, lips pressed to his fingers. Without another word, the group of circus performers turned towards Yugi and rushed towards the disappearing form of their beast master, hoping that they could stop the young man before he gets hurt.

- - -

If someone asked Yugi what had happened, the beast master would dumbly open his mouth and wait for nonexistent words to spill out until the person who asked would fall asleep and Yugi himself would have forgotten the question. He could remember what happened but somehow, he couldn't bring himself to voice it.

He remembered quite well, reaching Camelot and the hellhounds with little difficulty. No one was there to stop him and he was relieved not to face any of the palace guards. Sighing in relief, he rushed towards the beasts that all lifted their heads at the sight of him.

Then something sharp and cold cut through his shoulder and he tumbled into the ground, rolling towards the beasts while clutching his wound tightly. He winced and gasped in pain as the blood dripped from his shoulder down to his fingers, falling in small drops to the ground.

He could vaguely hear the worried screams of his circus friends and the frightened shouts of the palace guards as the roars of the beasts reached his strained ears. His vision was blurry as he sat up with much difficulty but he could see enough to know that Camelot, Remus and Rome were attacking the soldiers just as the soldiers attacked them. And he found himself screaming at them to stop.

But what he remembered the most was his vision, clearing slightly as he got used to the pain, and seeing a warm pair of crimson eyes meet his own. He couldn't quite hear what the person said but he felt himself nod and reply that he was okay. The next thing he knew, the person swished a cloak as red as his eyes and as deep as the blood flowing from his shoulder, and wrapped it around the beast master's frozen form.

To Yugi, it felt like time had slowed down. He could see the person stand proud and tall in front of him, his voice booming orders at the guards and the servants that the beast master couldn't quite catch. Yugi saw Camelot and the hellhounds calm down and approach him, and he wondered if he had called them. He put a finger over his lips and hushed them as though he wasn't wounded and they weren't in the palace and they hadn't just caused chaos within the capital.

He remembered telling the beasts to stay put and be good before he was suddenly lifted from the ground by warm arms wrapped around his back and his waist. He tugged the crimson cloak closer to his form as he let the crimson-eyed man lead him through the palace, past the chaos of soldiers and healers, through the empty hallways of the palace and into a clean white room so bright that Yugi felt he entered a dream world.

And as his wound was tended to by faceless healers, dulling away the pain till he could no longer feel it, he jerked his head up and felt as though he had just woken up from a dream – a nightmare even – about dragons and hellhounds battling against metal clad men, and a crimson-eyed man who was both cold and warm.

Yugi blinked, hand subconsciously moving to his bandaged shoulder. He turned his head left and right, and saw around a dozen white cots lined up perfectly upon the walls, similar to the one he was currently sitting upon. He turned his eyes to his shoulder and made a surprised "eep". Not only was his wound perfectly bandaged but the clothes on his thin torso were gone. Then, with his unwounded arm, he pushed the white blankets off his lap and saw not his leather pants but soft white cotton trousers instead.

And he couldn't help but wonder if he was _really_ awake through the whole ordeal in this…clinic?

"Oh, good." Said a soft high-pitched voice, "You seem to be more conscious now."

Yugi slowly turned blinking eyes at the voice and tilted his head to one side at the sight of the blonde young woman who peeked her head from behind the white curtains beside his bed. "Excuse me," he started, "I don't mean to sound rude…but…where am I?"

The woman giggled, "Of course, you wouldn't know." she made her way beside the bed but refused to sit down despite the beast master's consistent offers. "When his highness brought you here, you were _so_ dazed I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't know you're here in the infirmary."

"Oh." Yugi looked down, his hands neatly folded in upon his lap. He remembered now. That crimson-eyed man was his majesty, the king. The king had helped him. Quickly, he whirled his head around, looking for the crimson cloak and his circus costume and found them neatly folded on a nearby table.

_I guess it wasn't a mistake to trust him._ , A soft contented smile appeared on his face. "Uhm, miss…?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Thank you." The beast master turned his smile at the young woman, "For cleaning my wounds and…uhm…changing my clothes." He said with an embarrassed voice, blushing slightly as the nurse laughed.

"Your welcome, little boy."

Yugi flinched at the nickname but decided not to say anything to the nice lady who took care of him.

Another woman appeared from the curtains and whispered something to the blonde. The two quickly said their little goodbyes and left. A moment later, Yugi heard footsteps approach his bed. Hesitantly, he lifted his head and, as his eyes met those of his crimson-eyed savior, he couldn't help but hold his breath.

* * *

Take that, Atemu! Yugi and the others could break out of your prison any time, anywhere! In your face! XDXDXD Well, Atemu's an indecisive leader who acts before he thinks – or rather, acts on _anger_ without thinking. On the other hand, Yugi's someone who thinks _too_ much before acting. They'll fix each other ;)

Oh, and Yugi was wounded. Don't complain. It's bound to happen. You don't expect any them to be safe and unhurt throughout the whole story, now do you? It's not like Yugi's wound is life-threatening anyway. Heck, he didn't even faint (though I considered it but found the idea overused). He was just...dazed. No big. So don't make any fuss about it, okay? XS

This chapter was longer than I wanted it to be – complicated scenes :( – but I needed to push the story up to that point. I wanted to end it at the start of Atemu and Yugi's road trip but it would make the chapter twice as long. Maybe I should start writing less descriptive? XS

Thanks to: **Angel's Charm**, **straitjackit**, **spidy007**, **biacebaolck**, **tai'sgirl23**, **Baka Shojo**, **HOPPY-SAN2345**, **Artemis Maxwell-Yuy**, **Sora Kohaku**, **Annuket**, **atemugirl0312465978**, **unseenwaters** and **silverwolf407**

**Annuket:** Ooh. I love you. You actually mentioned the beasts! XS I thought they'd be forgotten since I left them unresolved in the previous chapter.

**atemugirl0312465978:** Eh? What whipping? What torture? I don't plan on doing any of that. Ever. Not in this fic. For one thing, Yugi and the rest of the circus could take care of their selves very well – that and escape from the palace any time they want. Oh, and there are four of them arrested, not just Yugi :) Well, Atemu didn't _exactly_ free him...but it's kinda the same anyway XS

**unseenwaters:** Exactly. No blaming Atemu. He's just a frustrated king :(

**silverwolf407:** I actually added the dragon scene at the last moment. I realized I was neglecting the beasts a bit too much XD I'm glad you like it ;)


	6. VI : In Your Shoes

**For Play**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** (AU) All Yugi wanted was to gain his freedom. All Atemu wanted was a good entertainment. All chance wanted was for them to meet and a circus was more than willing to help. YYY.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance

**Pairings:** (main) YYY, (sub) BR, SJ, MM

**Disclaimer:** Kazuki Takahashi owns YGO.

**Note:** Sometimes I wish I wasn't the one writing this story so all I have to do is read and wait. Not to flaunt or anything, but I really enjoy reading this fic – it just so happens that I have the power to edit it and that takes out all the fun XS Sorry this chapter's late though. I got stuck on one scene then had to delete the whole scene and start over just to be able to continue XS

* * *

**VI. In Your Shoes**

Yugi blinked and, as the king took a step forward, he found himself pulling the white sheets to his lips with his unwounded arm, in a subconscious attempt to hide both his wound and bare chest.

The king made his way to Yugi's bedside and promptly sat down on the thin cushions of the infirmary cots. He raised an eyebrow at the beast master then suddenly shook his head, returning only worried eyes at the young man. "…Shouldn't you be asleep? It's late already and you need rest."

For a moment, Yugi convinced himself that he was still dreaming as he slowly dropped his hand and the sheets to his lap. Blinking a couple of times, he shook his head, "No, I'll be fine. I've had worse wounds." He shrugged, "And I've gone through days without sleep before." He was part of a traveling circus in a world that's still recovering from war. He did not have the leisure of lounging in feather beds and furnished rooms.

"But still…you're not healed yet…." Crimson eyes avoided lavender, "That wound…if I hadn't been so brash about my deci—"

"It was my fault, your majesty. I was stupid." Yugi ran a hand over the soft bandages, "I knew that there were guards around Camelot, Remus and Rome and still I rushed towards them without thinking." He sighed, a pained smile flashing on his bowed head. "Sorry…. I caused too much chaos. I promise it won't happen again, your majesty! Please don't punish us!" he turned pleading amethyst eyes at the king.

"It's Atemu." Said the irritated voice of the crimson-eyed man, "_My_ name is Atemu. It's not 'your majesty'." He glared at the beast master but paused a few seconds afterwards. He closed his eyes tightly and placed his fingers upon his temple, mumbling softly to himself.

But Yugi wasn't listening or watching the king's actions. Instead, he had his head bowed down, eyes focused on his lap. "…Atemu…." He repeated, smiling softly to himself, "…so you do have a name after all." His voice was near to a whisper but Atemu heard him clearly in the silence of the infirmary.

"Of course, doesn't everyone?" As much as Atemu believed that he could not simply _talk_ to the beast master after throwing him and his friends in jail, he still found his mouth retorting sarcastically at everything his smaller self said when he was supposed to be sulking for causing the beast tamer's wound. "I…uh…I'm so—" Atemu had already decided to apologize to them but still he couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Yugi placed his fingers over his mouth, bowing slightly for apology. "It's just that everybody calls you your majesty and I was starting to wonder if you ever _had_ a name in the first place. I don't mean anything bad about it!" he bit his bottom lip, lilac eyes growing big in both worry and fear.

Atemu stared at the beast master's eyes and suddenly, he felt shameful under the gaze. Here, in front of him, was a man who readily apologized for mistakes that he didn't even make and worried for the sake of people he didn't even know. All the while, he, the king of a powerful country, could not even bring himself to say a five-letter word and he felt like a pathetic doll, unable to do anything without his puppeteer.

And he found himself silently wishing that they were still in the middle of the war. For Atemu, it was easy being a hero. All he had to do was to get rid of the evil and stop the fighting – it was one clear goal. He didn't have to deal with making decisions over things that were too gray to distinguish from one another…or face his own self.

It was confusing and frustrating, and it made Atemu feel enraged, not at the beast master but at himself.

Yugi had his hands clasped tightly together as he murmured a silent prayer for the circus and the king but when Atemu remained silent, he started to worry. He slowly opened one of his eyes and saw his majesty looking slightly pale. "Your majesty? A-A-Atemu…?" he asked, saying the name carefully. _Am I even allowed to say his name?_

Then he saw crimson-eyes narrow in anger, fists shaking slightly. Yugi gulped. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't have called you by your name since you are the king. It won't happen again!" he pleaded, hands clasped tightly. He was supposed to ask pardon from the king and give their explanations, not make him mad.

"Don't do that." Atemu said in a hoarse whisper, his head still turned away from the beast master.

Yugi turned his head down but kept his eyes at the king. In a meek voice, he said, "…I'm sorry."

"I _said_, don't _do_ that." Atemu cut sharply, jerking his head away from the beast tamer even more. His fists clenched the white sheets of the infirmary cots tightly.

Yugi jumped slightly at the tone. He couldn't figure out what he was doing wrong. Was it something he said or something he was unconsciously doing? Was he not allowed to look at his crimson-eyed savior? Was that his punishment? He could usually understand what most people feel because of his experience with the animals but Atemu was just acting so complicated right now, he was lost. "Sor—"

"Stop _doing_ that!" The king quickly jumped to his feet, whirling his head at the beast. His furious and confused crimson eyes burning like torches.

Yugi pushed his back closer to the pillows and the headboard of the bed he laid upon, wondering what he did to make the king angry. Turning his eyes away from the fierce glare of his other self, he muttered yet another apology, "I'm sorry." He said in a mere whisper.

Atemu hissed loudly and shook his head vigorously. "STOP _APOLOGIZING_!" he threw his arms in air, growling out his frustration. He knew he shouldn't be throwing his anger at the beast master but the fact that he was doing so only made his temper go worse.

Yugi flinched, closing his eyes tightly by instinct, "B-b-but if I've done something wrong, I should apologize, shouldn't I?" he said in a shaking voice. He pressed his lips upon tightly clasped hands, praying that the king would cease being angry at him soon.

"You've done _nothing_ wrong, Yugi!" The king swung his hand in front of him, as though to slap away those notions the beast master were getting. Then Atemu paused at the sight of the beast tamer, curled tightly into a ball. He sighed, letting all his anger escape with his breath.

Slowly, he walked back to the bedside and sat nearer to the beast master. "You shouldn't apologize to me." He said, now in a soft voice. The beast master relaxed and dropped his hands to his lap but still, he refused to raise his head and look at the king.

Atemu frowned but decided not to make the beast master turn his amethyst eyes back at his crimson. With yet another sigh, he threw his head backwards and focused on the whiteness of the ceiling. "You've done nothing wrong, Yugi. In fact, I'm the one who did all the wrong things."

Lavender orbs instantly peeked from their eyelids. Yugi stared at the king, his mouth hanging wide open. Shaking his head, he gulped then said, "Not all. If I hadn't rushed to Camelot and the hellhounds, there wouldn't be so much trouble."

"No." Atemu shook his head, "I had thrown you in jail so quickly, without even thinking whether you were innocent or not. I just acted upon my anger and, had you and the circus punished because I couldn't punish myself." he ran a shaking hand through his hair and took deep breaths, "I could've stopped your ringmaster from stealing _those_ items if I wanted but instead, I focused on my own entertainment."

Yugi blinked. His other self knew of their ringmaster already and he couldn't help but wonder how. He swallowed down the vomit of questions that crept up his throat. The questions could wait. For now, he knew that he had to listen. Atemu needed that.

"I wanted to watch the show and if I had your ringmaster taken away, I might not be able to do so…but it was stupid of me to do that." Atemu dropped his head and shoulders, looking vulnerable for the tiniest second, "And now I dragged you and the circus into this mess." He sighed loudly, "Why am I _even_ telling you this?"

The beast master simply shrugged and offered a smile.

Atemu forced a laugh and turned an embarrassed smile at the beast master. "I originally came here to apologize to you but I couldn't. Instead, you kept apologizing." He sighed, "It's so pathetic. I can't even say a simply sorry."

"You're forgiven."

The king froze, his eyes growing wide in shock. He had heard the words clearly and, by the sound of it, the beast master seemed to mean them. "But…I haven't—"

Yugi shook his head, lifting a hand to stop the king's words. "You already said sorry." His clear amethyst eyes flashed slightly, "Besides, what matters is that you meant it, right? It wouldn't matter what words you use as long as you have the same intention." A smile rushed to his face and he chuckled, "The circus is pardoned then? Our names are cleared?"

Atemu returned the smile and nodded, "Yes, the circus is clear." He noticed how he felt much lighter than he could ever remember, like a big block of weight was suddenly lifted off his shoulders and he had just taken his first free gulp of air. "Though we would have to keep you and your friends in the palace for a while."

"Ah!" Yugi suddenly straightened his back, clasping one hand over his cheek, "My friends! Are they alright? Where are they? I hope I didn't make them _too_ worried." He chewed on his bottom lip, eyes focusing and un-focusing in panic. "Oh god…." He gasped.

Atemu laughed. He stood up and smoothened the folds of his royal robes. "They're fine." He said, "I'll get them to come here." He smiled at the beast master then turned around, waving a hand for goodbye.

"Wait! Your majesty!"

Frowning, Atemu stopped and turned slightly towards the beast master. "There are thousands of people in the palace and tens of thousands in the town proper. All of them call me by your majesty. I don't need to hear one more person do the same." Then he grinned, "Atemu will do just fine."

- - -

"Ugh! It's _you_!"

Seto raised an eyebrow. He had heard that voice somewhere before. Walking across the throne room with long strides, he smirked at blonde clown that had once caused him fall. "So you really _are_ part of _that_ circus." He said, watching as the blonde shook a tightly clenched fist at him – he could never seem to remember the guy's name, not that he wanted to.

"That's what _I_ said!" Jou stomped his foot loudly upon the carpeted floors of the throne room, "And what the hell have you done with Yugi!" his scream was followed by the rest of the circus behind him – or what's left of the circus.

They were back in the palace again when they were so close to getting out of the fancy white walls of the palace, out of the cage it really was. They would have resisted, taken a stand against those metal heads they call soldiers because heaven knows they could. But leaving the beast master in the hands of the very person who arrested them was not an option no matter how much trust Yugi had put on the man.

For the second time that night, the circus had willingly come to the palace without the slightest resistance.

"Give me one good reason to relay _any_ information to a mutt like you." Seto stopped in front of the throne, just before the steps that elevated the empty golden chair. He crossed his arms and scanned the group of circus performers in front of him.

Some of them were still wearing their costumes – mainly the loudmouthed clown and those other two. The rest, probably some other part of that rogue circus, were dressed in tunics and trousers he could only call as muddy rags with all the dirt and age the clothes had gone through.

Jou growled, shaking his fists in the air. "Why you!" he ran towards the brunette, lunging forward with his arms outstretched despite the constant protest of his friends but before he could reach the vizier, he was thrown back by a couple of guards who blocked the blonde with their spears and pushed him away. He glared at the shining tips of the steel spears – it was _those_ items that hurt the beast master.

Seto raised a hand and the guards simultaneously returned their spears to their sides, standing rigidly at their assigned places. "You should learn your place, mutt." He turned around, letting the jester spill his complaints and insults to the azure cape covering his back.

Seto Kaiba hated dealing with people who were nothing like him and, with the few meetings he had with this blonde jester whose name he could never quite remember (and would never want to), he decided that that person was the very example of the type of man he did _not_ want to deal with. The blonde was annoying and stupid and seemed to have the natural ability of getting on his nerves.

The vizier grumbled then took a neatly folded paper from his pocket, flipping it open with one finger. It was a note they found in the jail cell his majesty had thrown the circus in – the only sign of the prisoners' escape. It was not, in any way, directed to him but still, he found himself annoyed – by the scrawny writing or the content, he didn't know.

With a loud sigh, Seto faced the jester once again.

"FINALLY!" Jou huffed, throwing his arms in the air, "I was starting to think that you'd gone _permanently_ deaf!"

The blue-eyed vizier flinched quite visibly and a few of the guards gulped in fear as they turned their eyes from the vizier to the jester and back again. Taking one deep breath, Seto held out the note in front of the jester.

Jounouchi blinked, narrowed his eyes at the contents of the paper then gasped in a volume Seto didn't believe was possible. "Hey! You found the note I left in that stinky rusted cage!" He snatched the paper with his fist, crumpling the edges slightly, "Did your king read this? It was meant for him, you know."

Seto Kaiba found himself unsurprised. He had expected something as annoying as that stupid message to be made by someone as annoying as that stupid clown. "I figured someone with your lack of brains would be the one to make such an idiotic thing."

"BASTARD!" Jou screamed and lunged himself at the vizier, who was now smirking, once again but instead of having the guards throw him away like before, he felt himself being pulled back by none other than his circus companions. He glared and growled and struggled with all his might against the three pairs of arms that held him but still, he was held to the ground with one Mai Kujaku sitting comfortably on his back.

"You'll get us in trouble with all your attacks at the vizier, Jou-kun." Mai said with a happy and mocking spring in her voice, "We know you're worried about Yugi but I don't think it'll help if you hurt that guy." She nodded towards the advisor as she patted Jou's golden mop lightly with her palm.

Seto frowned and found himself feeling like a child who didn't get what he wanted for his birthday. The blonde jester was annoying but somehow, he felt more annoyed without the blonde annoying him – he'd have to worry about the greater scale of things now, like where his cousin was and what he was supposed to do with these rogues.

The loud sound of the throne room doors being pushed open interrupted the crawl of silence. One soldier entered and scanned the room, stopping at the sight of the vizier. "Vizier Kaiba, we've found a couple of people lurking around the palace walls. We suspect they're from the circus as well." The man genuflected in front of the royalty.

Two familiar voices reached the group of performers, all of their eyes turned to the open doors. Four armored guards dragged one red-haired young girl and one brunette who were both protesting and struggling against their hold. A dark-haired young boy pushed himself past the guards and jumped in front of the captured pair.

"Mokuba!"

"Shizuka!"

With one snap of his finger, Seto Kaiba had ordered the guards away from both his brother and the other two. He strode over the carpeted marble floors, eyes focused solely on his brother that he barely noticed another stumbling over to the three.

Jou pushed Mai off his back and quickly scampered to his sister, stumbling on the way as he did. He briefly noticed the blue-eyed vizier rush to Mokuba in long yet hurried strides but, as he crouched down in front of his teary-eyed sister, all his attention was focused on his only blood relation.

"Are you okay?" Jou asked. He was sure he heard another voice accompany his own but assumed that it was nothing but the echoes of the palace.

"What are you doing here?" This time, Jou was sure there was another voice – it was a different tone: angrier, louder and more powerful. He jerked his head around him and was surprised to find Seto Kaiba crouched in front of Mokuba glaring at him. He glared back then turned back to his sister.

"Are you alright?" Seto inquired and Mokuba nodded dumbly. He had heard that jester follow his words like a mime with sound coming out of his mouth. _Is that blonde trying to spite me! Play a joke even? This is_ far _from being hilarious._ , Being a man of his stature, he decided to simply ignore the lesser man.

"What just happened?" The fourth question and still the words spilled out of Seto and Jou's mouths as one and the same.

"Hey! Will you _stop_ that!" A growl escaped Jou's lips and glared at the vizier replied with a scowl, "Stop mimicking me like a parrot! I don't wanna have the same words as _you_."

Seto Kaiba stood up. He tapped his brother's shoulder in assurance before walking towards the blonde, his tall figure towering in silent intimidation. "I do not mimic idiots like you who have nothing useful to say." His voice was cold and solid but the chill that spread to the whole room failed to touch Jounouchi Katsuya.

"You know—"

"…You seem to be having fun without me."

The moment the voice entered the room, all the metal-clad soldiers dropped to their knees in genuflection. The captured performers turned their eyes to the royal figure that stood under the doorway of the throne room.

"Your majesty." Seto greeted blandly.

Jou blinked. He shifted his eyes between Seto and the king before finally convincing himself that the person in front of him was not their beast tamer but the king of Imperium. "Where's Yugi!" he asked in such a threatening voice that some of the guards moved towards him, "What did you do to him!"

His majesty raised a hand, silently ordering the guards to stay put. Crimson eyes met soft brown and he offered the jester the tiniest of his smiles. "I brought him to the infirmary." He said in an obvious tone, "He's currently in his senses and wishes to see you. One of the guards will bring all of you there." He nodded at the nearest soldier, earning a salute from the man.

Jou had stared dubiously at the king as the rest of his companions gathered behind him.

"How do we know you're not just gonna throw us into some rusted dungeon?" It was Malik who piqued the question, saying the very thing that was running through all of their minds.

Atemu looked at them all then replied, "We don't arrest our guests." By the looks he received, he doubted that any of them believed him. Sighing softly, he turned to another tactic, "Whether you're going to jail or not, I assure you you're going to see the beast master…not unless you want to leave him alone…?"

Without another word, the circus followed the guard's lead with Mokuba tagging a few steps behind.

"Took you long enough, Atemu." Seto watched their king walk almost sluggishly to his throne, "Did you get what you wanted?"

A tired sigh escaped the king's lips. "Not now, Kaiba. Let's leave all the questions – for me and the circus – tomorrow." Atemu said, letting his back relax onto his throne, "It's late and I'm tired. Let's leave all of them…"

"…for tomorrow."

- - -

It was the sound of gushing wind rattling the windows that had woken Atemu up. Still dressed in his sleeping garments, he rushed to his windows and saw the distinct sheen of the circus dragon's scales. Quickly, he opened the glass doors to his personal balcony, pushing the crimson curtains out of his way.

The hard rush of the wind played with his hair and, as he reached the edge of his balcony, the only thing he could catch was the distinct spikes of hair similar to his own before the black dragon rose into the barely lighted sky but it was all he needed.

"Yugi!" He called but the wind only ate up his words.

As the dragon disappeared from sight, Atemu couldn't help but feel helpless and, most of all, betrayed. He had trusted Yugi and his circus friends not to run away. They still needed them. But with his own eyes, he had seen the beast master fly away without a second glance to the white castle towers.

He wondered if this was how Yugi felt when he had them arrested because it hurt more than he thought it would.

"Maybe one of us should've come with him." A worried sigh reached Atemu's ears, "He _is_ still injured."

Atemu searched for the source of that feminine voice and found the owner standing far below him, upon the wide and open fields of the gardens. Around her stood a few other people that Atemu could recognize as the circus troupe. Their voices, though spoken in a conversational volume, reached the king's balcony in a series of echoes that mixed with the early morning mist. Absent-mindedly, Atemu wondered how anyone could wake up before the sun had even shown its face. He shook his head sharply

"You've heard what he said." Came another voice, this time it was male, "He didn't want to make it look like we're running away from the palace or something. And it's not like we'll be needed with what he left for."

"I _know_ that." The female replied, irritation evident in her voice, "I know we won't be much of help with the animals – _especially_ Jou here—"

"Hey!"

"—But I'd feel _better_ if there was someone to watch over him, won't you? After all, that wound on his shoulder is _barely_ healed." At those words, Atemu flinched, feeling a wave of guilt wash over him. Of all the mistakes he had made in his life – the few that he had admitted – why was this one haunting him so much?

A loud snort answered the worries of the girl whom Atemu recognized to be the brunette of the trapeze, "Nah! Yug's had wounds a _thousand_ times worse! His shoulder wasn't even broken!" Obnoxious laughter resonated through empty palace gardens until it was suddenly cut off sharply – Atemu didn't know why.

"You know, that just sounded horribly mean."

A stutter of protest followed by rich group laughter was the next thing that the ruler of the land heard before he turned around and entered his room, feeling much relieved and happy after knowing that the beast master had _not_ run away from him. He chuckled lightly to himself. It was silly of him to think so in the first place. After all, the beast master was and will always be…

_Nothing like myself…._ , It was a bitter thought for so early in the morning but Atemu made no move to will it away.

With a snap of his fingers, the wide doors to his chambers swung open and in came a couple of servants, heads bowed down that Atemu could barely distinguish one from the other. The morning continued much like the day before.

- - -

By the time Atemu had finished his morning rituals, the sun was shining softly in the early morning sky and the sound of rushing wind rattling open glass windows on their hinges had captured the attention of all. He had rushed, unknown to himself, out of the palace and to where the charcoal dragon in the skies had chosen to land, almost throwing away his cape because of the nuisance it had become.

With one last flap of his wings, the red-eyed black dragon settled on his claws, curling his spiked tail around him and folding his leather wings neatly on his back. Atemu watched as the beast master climbed slowly and carefully off the reptile's back, offering the black beast a soft smile and an affectionate "thank you" before walking away from him and meeting the crimson gaze of the king.

At that moment, Yugi stiffened then stumbled on his next step.

"Oh…uhm…A-A-Ate – your majesty!" The beast tamer gasped, chewing on his lip nervously. He toyed with his fingers, eyes darting everywhere but those crimson orbs. "You see, I wasn't trying to – I mean, it's not what you think! I'm just – I didn't meant to—"

Atemu smiled, "Good morning, Yugi."

A deep shade of ruby splashed across Yugi's face. In a meek and embarrassed whisper, he said, "I'm sorry. I was worried about the animals left in the circus so I went to feed them. I didn't want them to cause any trouble for the capital hunting for food…." His voice trailed as he took a hesitant peek at the king's face. The smile he saw on his other self's face only made him more embarrassed than he already was.

"There's no need to apologize. You came back." The smile upon Atemu's face quickly changed into a tight frown the moment his eyes fell on the white bandages peeking from behind the beast master's tunic, "You're still injured. You shouldn't stress your body too much."

Yugi shook his head, "I'll be fine. It only hurts if the wound is touched." He lifted his injured arm with a smile on his face, showing no pain or discomfort.

Atemu shook his head. He placed a hand as softly and slowly as he could on the beast master's wounded shoulder, "Just because your mind is used to such pain doesn't mean your body will comply." He said sharply, "Come. I'll bring you back to the infirmary."

"Oh please, don't bother yourself. I can remember the way well enough." Yugi turned his head to the king but Atemu knew those eyes were looking past him, "You seem…busy enough."

For the first time that morning, Atemu looked over his shoulder and noticed the small group of councilmen standing just a couple of feet behind him. He shot them all an annoyed glare but spoke nothing about their presence.

Being the king was such a bothersome duty. Atemu had always been followed around by councilmen, messengers, priest, vizier or servants. His only place of isolation was his bedchambers – that or it was Seto that accompanied him. He had long since learned to forget the presence of his entourage and he didn't expect to "see" them again by the beast master's eyes.

"You should get back to your duties. I'm sorry for disturbing you, Ate – your majesty." Yugi corrected himself quickly, barely noticing the disappointed look that Atemu had shot him. His eyes were focused on the glares the council had been giving him and he did not want make trouble for both the circus and his majesty.

"No. It's alright. Those duties can wait." _You sound just like Kaiba._ , Atemu wanted to ease his conscience about Yugi's injury but being able to escape his personally cage only made it look more appealing.

"But your people are important. They _shouldn't_ wait." Yugi answered back in a soft voice, hoping that the king's entourage heard nothing of his defiance. "Besides, my friends are here to help me." He pointed to the familiar group of people near the palace walls with his uninjured arm.

_My people…?_ , Atemu repeated Yugi's statement in his mind. He had almost forgotten about his importance and duty to his people. There was nothing else he could say to a statement like that.

Atemu lifted his hand from the beast master's shoulder, replied in silence to the other's meek goodbye, and watched as he walked towards his companions, glancing back numerous times.

"_Eherm_."

Atemu didn't need to see the speaker to know who he was. There was only one person in the whole palace who had the gall to make such interruptions at him and that was none other than Seto Kaiba, who had cut through the entourage like a samurai sword.

Turning his head calmly at his cousin, he raised a questioning eyebrow, daring the other to say anything about him and his attention to his duties, but Seto had nodded his head towards the circus performers, mouthing two silent words: _millennium items_.

"Wait." Atemu called to the beast master just as the entertainers had turned to leave, "It should be best for you to come to with me first." His voice was powerful and commanding, leaving no room for denial.

Yugi and the others had looked at each other in question but nonetheless, followed the king as he walked through the palace halls, leading them to one of the meeting rooms.

- - -

The stars, Yugi noticed, shone far less bright than from the smaller villages and in the forest wild, as if they were too shy to show themselves to the sparkle of grandness below. And the moon, the moon was much too small for what the beast master was used to seeing. Standing behind one of the higher windows of the palace, he thought that he'd be closer to the heavens but it seemed like he was farther away.

"Are the stars good tonight?"

Yugi turned to the voice, "Oh. Good evening." He greeted with a smile before turning back to look at the skies and the shy stars. "The stars are much shyer here than the other places I've been to." He replied in complete honestly, not bothering if he offended the king or not for once. With a sigh, he leaned on the window pane, making sure that he wouldn't stress his injured shoulder, and continued to gaze at the heavens.

Atemu approached the beast master slowly. "There must be something wrong if you sigh like that." He said with carefully chosen words. "Is that about your offer earlier? You could always take it back if you regret it." The king offered, leaning beside the silent beast tamer.

"No, no. I don't want to take it back." Yugi frantically waved his hands in front of him, "It's just that…I've been thinking about…what you told us earlier on…."

"_The millennium items are ancient treasures that possess powerful magic. It was those items – all seven of them – that ended the previous war but in the wrong hands, it would be powerful enough to start another war. Six of them were kept here under strict watch. One was lost in the war and it's currently in the hands of your ringmaster."_

"…It was just a surprise to know that Pegasus had the missing millennium item. I've always thought his skills came from his own self…not from an ancient treasure." Said the beast master in a soft whisper. He jerked his head up and turned to the king, "But I'm _more_ surprised that Malik knew about the items! I never thought he'd know such a guarded secret!"

Atemu shrugged, smiling at the tone of the beast master's voice, "Well, he's an Ishtar."

Yugi looked at the king. It was the same statement he heard from the vizier – Seto Kaiba, was it? – that seemed to explain everything about Malik and the millennium items. He wondered what it was with the knife thrower's clan name and the ancient treasured but knew better than to ask. Malik had always been bitter about his clan and Yugi didn't want to cause more problems when they have enough on their hands.

"Yugi." Atemu called, his voice lowering to its serious tone, "Are you _absolutely_ sure about your decision? I think – no, you should _definitely_ back out from it."

Yugi cocked his head to one side then smiled, "Yes, I'm absolutely sure."

Crimson eyes sharpened towards velvet purple. With a sigh, Atemu ran a hand through his tri-colored locks, "Do you even know what _they're_ going to make you do? They're going to put _your_ life on the line in exchange for _mine_." He slammed a palm over his chest, eyes burning in anger, "You _never_ should've offered your services to the capital!"

Yugi blinked and couldn't help but gulp quite loudly with those burning eyes on him. He quickly turned his head down, away from the king's gaze, "It's okay…." He started in a soft voice, "I'll be your…decoy, right?…on your trip to get one of the item holders. I can do that. I've traveled a lot with the circus. It's not as dangerous as others make it to be." He flashed his most reassuring smile, hoping that it would calm his other self.

"…Your help is not needed, Yugi. You don't have to offer it." Atemu sighed, feeling his words having no effect on the beast master, "_Why_ are you doing this?" he couldn't understand it at all. It was his duty as both the king of Imperium and an item holder to pursue the millennium items. Yugi had no such duty.

For a second, the beast master froze. Atemu could easily see how flustered the other was, eyes darting everywhere and his shaky hands trying to find something to do.

"Well…you see…Pegasus is…Pegasus is our ringmaster and he…and he…well, we should—"

Without words, Atemu had cut the other with one solid stare.

Yugi bit his lip, chewing lightly on his bottom lip. He sighed and dropped his shoulders. "The millennium items could end wars…just like before…but…they could also start them, as you said." He clasped his hands together, turning back to the open window and to the darkness of the palace gardens below, "I just don't want another war to start…. Bad things happen in wars…just like the one before…."

Atemu would not deny that. The last war was undoubtedly devastating. His kingdom had suffered much causality…at least that's what he heard. He had never actually seen the damage his land had sustained. He was locked within his palace and the capital and from there, his sight was limited.

"But – you – the war—" Atemu stopped.

Before, he believed that the war only affected those lands that participated but seeing a person who was willing to stop another war at all costs made him doubt his own beliefs. "…What happened…to you…in the previous war…?"

Yugi jumped slightly. He had never expected the king to ask anything concerning his past or even be the slightest curious about it. "I don't think I should bother you with my stories…. They're not really _that_ interesting." He said, feeling embarrassed with bringing it up in the first place.

But Atemu was stubborn. He wasn't to unanswered questions, especially if it came from him. "No, I'd like to know. I'd like to know your full reason for helping us."

Yugi turned to the determined eyes of his majesty. Talking about what happened to him during the war was something…personal. Not even when he was in the circus, with his friends, did he like talking about his own past. None of them ever did. It was like an unspoken rule that was never to be broken.

But under his other self's crimson gaze, he found himself worrying little about the awkwardness. He had always liked talking to his majesty. It had always made him feel better.

"Our village," Yugi started, a smile playing on his lips, "was located on the border of two countries. When the war struck, we were one of the first to get affected." His eyes were sad though that small smile still stayed on his lips, "Our village was destroyed. I lost my family."

An uncomfortable silence blanketed on them both, a silence that Atemu couldn't stand but couldn't break. Still, he kept his eyes on the beast master, waiting more than he had ever done in his life.

"Pegasus…found me…soon and I've started working for the circus." Yugi frowned as he thought of their ringmaster, "The circus is our way of life. None of us really liked our ringmaster but he gave us a means to live during and after the war and…without him…I don't know if the circus will survive…."

_Why didn't I see this before?_ , Yugi nervously bit his lip.

When he had visited the main tents in the early hours of the day, all he saw was chaos. The tents were knocked down and ripped into shreds. Their equipment was destroyed – others were missing which Yugi guessed were snagged by the rest of the troupe who ran away both from the circus and the capital.

He was relieved, though, to see the animals still in their cages, acting so calm that Yugi wondered if they even noticed the remnants of the circus tents that seemed to be run down by a storm of slashes. Only after feeding them did he leave, watching from Camelot's back the remains of their home…their way of living…their life.

"…The circus will disappear…."

Atemu didn't like what he was seeing. The beast master had grown noticeably pale – that was saying something, with the other's almost porcelain skin. Then those barely whispered words escaped the other's lips and Atemu found himself…worried. "Yugi…? Are you alright? Maybe you've stressed your injury too much for today."

Yugi kept his head down but nodded when he felt the king's hand on his uninjured shoulder. "…I'm okay. Something just came to my mind." He replied. He placed his hand over the king's own and met his other self with a smile, "Thank you for asking, Atemu."

Atemu's eyes widened. Not only had the beast master thanked him, he had also placed his hand on his own. Most of all…"You finally said my name." he breathed in a sigh. "I thought you'd never use the name I've given you."

This time, Yugi blushed. He quickly took his hand away from the king's and stepped back, "I'm sorry. I just didn't want to offend…your council. I don't think they'll like it if I call you by your name."

"What of the council? They can't do anything to you as long as you're under my protection." Atemu said, his voice returning to its commanding tone.

"But I'm not under your pro—"

"Well I say you are now." The king interrupted, leaving no room for argument.

Yugi simply replied with a smile that was both pleased and embarrassed.

"Come. I'll bring you back to the infirmary. You _are_ still injured." The crimson-eyed king flapped a hand, motioning the other to follow him.

Taking one last look at the skies, Yugi turned to his other self and followed. Somewhere within his mind, he could still hear the echoes of the circus and its fate. His promised help to the capital was the only thing keeping the situation at bay. After his mission was finished and the millennium items are secured, what would happen to the circus?

- - -

"You sure your shoulder is healed, Yug?"

Yugi blinked and stared at Jounouchi. He looked at his once injured shoulder then at his jester friend. "Jou, it healed a couple of weeks ago." He replied, turning his shoulder in small circles to prove the loss of the injury. Under him, the king's stallion stirred and he reached down to soothe the beast with a soft caress on the neck.

"Okay. Don't tell me that was _my_ fault." Jou stepped away, bumping into Ryou who was standing just behind him. "Argh, sorry!" he jumped away from the wizard but only ended in tangling their limbs together and tumbling to the ground. "Okay…now _that_ was my fault."

A series of laughter spilled from the circus group's lips.

"Uhm, I know it's funny and all but could someone _please_ move Jou off me?" Ryou's muffled voice interrupted their laughter as he desperately pushed on the jester's back but failed to move the other the least bit off of his stomach. With a loud groan, he flopped on his back, refusing to budge until that weight on his lap was gone.

It was Honda and Otogi who offered their hands and pulled the blonde jester of their resident magician.

"Anyway, Yugi, injured or not, you should be careful." Anzu turned her worried blue eyes to the beast tamer, sitting comfortably on the dark stallion's back, "We'll be doing the worrying back here so don't make more trouble than we could handle, okay?" she winked playfully at the other, waving a finger in her usual scolding attitude.

Yugi nodded, "I promise I won't."

"Yugi, I _love_ that style of clothes on you." Mai pushed past Otogi and Shizuka, placing herself right beside her trapeze partner. "Makes you look…hmm…_sexy_." She winked in a far from playful way, teasing the beast master before he sets off.

The beast master turned a deep shade of red, matching the cape resting around his shoulders. He suddenly clutched the soft material of his tunic, creating wrinkled that he instantly regretted. Smoothing away the fold on his torso, he replied, "This…this isn't my clothes…it's his majesty's…since, you know…I'll be his doppelganger and I have to…uh…look like him." He pushed his knees as close as they could be, his leather boots pressing against the horse's hide, and tried to be as small as he could to escape the acrobat's attention.

Mai giggled, "But it _does_, Yugi! Right?" she turned to the person nearest to her right, which was Malik and the knife thrower was more than happy to agree. "See?"

Yugi blushed even deeper. If it was the clothes that made him look good, then he doubted it was him they were complimenting – more like his majesty. "I…I…I just need to be as much like his highness as possible."

"Oh, but you'd never _out_-king the king!" Jou loudly proclaimed, a goofy grin on his face, "You don't have the freaky blood eyes!"

"But he doesn't need to."

Not even Jou needed to turn around to know who it was that spoke. Just the sight of all the knights, footmen and servants genuflecting towards the jester was enough to say that his highness was standing roughly behind the group of performers. Nonetheless, Jou turned around, scratching the back of his head. "Oh. Hey there, your royal-ness."

Atemu spared the jester the power of his glare and instead, focused on the beast master seated on his own horse. He'd have to admit, the beast master looked nothing like he would in those travel clothes marked with the royal emblem. For one thing, Yugi had the kind of shoulders that were meant to be hugged while his was the kind that simply shrug off the touch.

He walked passed the beast master's friends, his knight's armor making sound as he stepped, and stopped in front of his stallion. "We'll be leaving soon. You should say what you need to your…companions." He glanced at the circus performers who were silent under his gaze then went to the servants saddling up his own horse.

"Well anyway, Yugi, we'll work hard here so you do your best as well!" Anzu gave the beast master a peace sign. Behind her, the rest of their group nodded.

Yugi nodded enthusiastically. "I will. Thanks." He flashed his brightest smile at his friends, knowing that it would be months before they meet once again. He guided his majesty's stallion to the rest of the knights and footmen, and to the position assigned to him in the formation.

Atemu swung his armored limbs over his saddled stallion and led the creature over to the beast master. He nodded and smiled before slipping his helmet on his head, hiding his crimson eyes. With one commanding sweep of his hand, he set the small army on its way.

Yugi watched as the first knight rode forward followed by the few footmen and the rest of the riding soldiers. His stallion moved along with the group without the slightest tug on his reins.

As the tall metal gates of the palace swung open with a long groan, the beast master felt the urge to look back and find his friends' supportive gazes but he kept his head looking forward. _No, I can't look back now._ , He tightened his grip on the reins and the horse threw his head up, feeling the tug on his line. _I wanted to do this. There's no room for hesitation._

Yugi let a loud sigh escape his lips and he suddenly felt Atemu's gaze upon him. The beast master straightened his back, pushed back his shoulders and showed his most determined eyes, trying hard to copy that proud stature of the king he had seen so many times before.

The shadows of the arc of the palace entrance passed over him, curving on every contour of his body. And under the crimson-eyed gaze, he urged the stallion forward.

* * *

**OMAKE  
Down Below**

Seto Kaiba couldn't explain how it happened.

He was simply walking through the palace halls, searching for their king who had, yet again, managed to disappear from his council. It was almost like a routine but something happened in his tight schedule of look-for-Atemu that he never expected to happen.

That jester with the sun-kissed hair had appeared out of nowhere, lying as silly as before on the carpeted floors of the castle. He had reprimanded the blonde – his name was something along the lines of "cat" that Seto really believed suited him badly – about "tainting the carpets" only to find that the object of the clown's attention was none other than his majesty and the beast master that his majesty had somehow grown fond of.

And now, he was standing on that very same corner with the blonde clown lying stomach-flat on the carpet between his legs. Somehow, he had ended up in a situation with that annoying jester for the second? third? time of his life. He promised to take out his frustration on Atemu – he wouldn't be out and about if the king hadn't disappeared once again.

"Oh god. I know that look." The blonde below him gasped so loud that Seto was quite surprised that the king and the beast master didn't notice him at all. "He's asking him about his past and stuff! That's like…_touchy_ stuff! Even we don't ask each other about that!"

Seto wondered if he should reply at all but the jester continued babbling.

"He's invading his personal space! I knew it was right for me to follow him around like this!"

'_Follow him around'?_ , The blue-eyed vizier resisted the urge to smirk but failed with flying colors. _Sounds just like a pup and his master._

"Hey, did you hear me?" Jou tugged hard on the tips of the vizier's cape, the one that fell on his back. "I said, your king is invading Yug's personal space! Do something! Aren't you like his officer or something?"

Seto frowned. He did not take lightly being ordered around – not even when his cousin gives him orders does he find himself the least bit pleased. "Why don't you just watch the beast master like you're here to do!" He knew he raised his voice and he hoped the king and the beast master would notice little of it.

The blonde jester looked up. He turned around slightly so that he could face the vizier more. "I'm not here to spy on Yug. Yug'll _never_ do anything brash to the king! I'm worried about what Yug's _twin_ will do to _him_!"

Seto Kaiba, for the first time that night, met the chocolate eyes of the jester below him. He was also there to watch what mischief his cousin would do and he felt uncomfortable having the same goal as that dog between his legs. It was as annoying as the night before.

"Why? Are _you_ here to spy on Yug or something?" Jou asked. He tried coating his voice with as much venom and hidden message as possible but to him, he sounded silly, like a singing constipated moose or something like that.

Seto Kaiba looked down on the jester and decided not to reply.

* * *

Road trip! Road trip! Road trip! Road trip! XDXDXD And Yugi's Atemu's double – kinda like a Padmé-Amidala relationship except that Padmé and Queen Amidala aren't really romantically involved – excuse the Star Wars analogy XS I just didn't want to bring Yugi on a road trip with Atemu with no valid reason whatsoever.

In this chapter, Kaiba and Jou realize that they're not quite as different as they thought they were – gods, doesn't that sound cheesy XP You know, after writing my SJ humor fic, I realized how much I like writing Kaiba and Jou. Not as a couple, per se, but as individuals. They're fun :) Hence the omake XD

They'll meet Bakura in the next chapter (maybe sneak a kiss between Atemu and Yugi as well?) and Bakura'll meet Ryou in the chapter after that (or maybe in the same one) – can't wait! XD

Oh, and as for questions about the animals left in the circus grounds, the others Yugi left behind in the capital and the whole circus disappearing issue…you'll see that in the next chapter as well. I _tried_ putting it in this one but it _really_ doesn't fit.

I've been thinking a lot about the side pairings and since this story will focus on Atemu and Yugi's relationship, I decided to just make a set of one-shots for the others which I'll post as a different story. That and putting them in this fic would _greatly_ deviate from the plot – that or it doesn't really hold much value for the story, like that omake up there.

Thanks to: **Baka Shojo**, **DemonicPharoah**, **spidy007**, **frogger666**, **tai'sgirl23**, **unseenwater**, **beetelgirl**, **Angel's Charm**, **Annuket**, **Corvin**, **biaceblock**, **Princess Yali**, **silverwolf407**, **AngelKelley17**, **Adhina**, **YamiXYugi-yaoilover2899**, **DarkNileStallion** and **Sarah/ryoulover4ever**


	7. VII : A Tamer of All

**For Play**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** (AU) All Yugi wanted was to gain his freedom. All Atemu wanted was a good entertainment. All chance wanted was for them to meet and a circus was more than willing to help. YYY.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance

**Pairings:** (main) YYY, (sub) BR, SJ, MM

**Disclaimer:** Kazuki Takahashi owns YGO.

**Note:** Okay, let me take this time to _shamelessly_ pimp one of my fics, _My Precious_. Some of you might've read it already. It's so long ago! XD It's my first successful humor fic which is why I'm so proud of it. Hey, I've read it so many times and it still cracks me up – yes, I'm that shallow XP It's an SJ one-shot – I never would've thought of making one since I don't care much for the pair but it just fits. Please look at it if you're interested. Thank you.

* * *

**VII. A Tamer of All**

The palace of Atemu's kingdom had always been quiet. The air of solemnity and pride breathed through the walls down to the very earth the castle's foundation stood. Like a god towering over mortals it stood in the middle of the town with the surrounding houses bowing in constant adoration at its very presence.

…Until a loud fire-infused roar caused the worshippers to lift their heads up in a moment of shock.

"No, no! Jou! Camelot _needs_ the whole cattle and an open field to feed in! Don't give him the chunks! Those are for the chimaeras!" Ryou rushed quickly to the Jou's side, dragging him as far as he can from the enraged dragon. "And you _know_ that Camelot doesn't like you."

The blonde jester grumbled as he struggled to get up with the white wizard's help. He lifted one of his sleeves that were burnt slightly by the blast of flames the red-eyed dragon had sent his way. There were scorch marks on his arm and he hoped desperately that they were stains from his burned sleeves. Dropping his arm in annoyance, he turned back to the albino wizard and said, "Why the hell do you need to feed these stupid animals anyway?! Don't they go hunting themselves?!?!"

With a long sigh, Ryou answered, "_Because_…" he turned and led the blonde towards the hellhounds – the only beasts that favored the clumsy jester, "…it's dangerous without Yugi watching over them. Who knows what they'll swipe with no one to stop them." Using the firmest finger he could muster, he pointed at broken bones near the hydra's so-called lair. "Now, _can_ you handle feeding Rome and Remus?"

A loud groan echoed from the jester's throat. "Do I have to?" he swung his arms over the fence that surrounded the wild beasts, letting his hands swing limply above the ground.

Ryou pursed his lips, wondering deeply about what he should answer to that question. In all honesty, he would rather not have Jou help him around with taking care of the animals. The jester was sure to give more trouble than help in his job. The circus certainly didn't need more things to pay for when they're already burdened with lodgings for the beasts and themselves, and their determined revival of their traveling troupe.

Causing damage to the palace was a big no-no. It had taken a bit of begging (mostly done by Yugi) and tons of compromise (all of which are proposed, yet again, by Yugi) to get the palace to house _all_ of the circus' beasts and heaven knows how many wild ones they have. They had promised the palace that the beasts would be tamed and would cause little to no damage within the castle walls. With Jou around, they might just go and break it.

"You shouldn't have offered to help then." Came Ryou's absent-minded answer, "Besides, aren't you supposed to be doing your job as of the moment?" he said cautiously, trying to make the jester leave without telling him directly. Dealing with an upset Jounouchi would just be as hard as dealing with the beasts.

Jou groaned, his body slumping lower to the fence. "Don't remind me." He mumbled.

It was a truth that the circus had long since learned that money, no matter how despicable it was, was needed to survive in their world. Now that their ringmaster, who handled all their expenses, was gone, they were back to relying on themselves for income. With the circus disbanded, gaining income through means they've known was far from possible.

During the few months of Yugi's recovery, what remained of the circus had scavenged the town for available jobs. Mai and Anzu had easily squeezed themselves into a bar in the slums as waitresses. Shizuka had earned a place in the butcher's shop that supplied the circus with their beast feed – Jou was absolutely against making his little sister a waitress in some random bar where random dirty men would try and hit on her. Honda and Otogi had found themselves a hard-labored job in some merchant's business…despite Otogi's reluctance. There weren't many available jobs in the town and it was no time to be whiny.

Jobs came easy to Malik and Ryou. With the circus animals housed within the castle walls and Ryou being the only person able to handle them, he was immediately registered as one of the palace servants – no questions asked. Malik had also been entered into the palace hands. It seemed that both the king and the vizier wanted to keep him a close watch. It had bothered Malik at first but said nothing against it. It was a rough time for their troupe and compromises have to be made.

As for Jou…none of them could really say what happened. Honda and Otogi had said that the blonde was employed in the same job as they were until he got fired the day after he was hired. Apparently, he had made quite a big mistake that the merchant couldn't even bare to see the very strands of his hair.

Ryou had guessed that after that their resident blonde jester had tried a few other jobs only to fail at each. The blonde had always been a bit kooky and clumsy, quite accident-prone as well. Somehow, he ended up with the most peculiar and unexplainable job Ryou could ever think of for the blonde.

"You should be watching over Mokuba right now, aren't you?" Ryou had asked, hoping to get the jester to be guilty enough to see to his duties, "You'll get in trouble with the vizier if you don't do your job, especially when he was nice enough to offer."

The moment the blue-eyed vizier was mentioned, Jou had stiffened. He stood up straight in one swift motion and turned around to face his albino friend, "Ack! Don't mentioned that bastard!!!" he shouted, "He did _not_ offer me that stupid babysitting job because he wants to, you know!" he crossed his arms, tossing his head to one side. "His royal-ness _made_ him do it. _Obviously_, that guy don't have a single slice of kindness in him."

"Com'n now. You know it's not a bad job. Mokuba's a nice kid." Ryou smiled, moving beside the jester. "I'm sure it's a fun job."

A sigh escaped the jester's lips. "Yeah. I guess so." He agreed reluctantly, "But you don't know _half_ of the things that kid gets himself into. It's like he _sneaks_ out of their mansion on a daily basis! If I lived in a house like that, I'd _never_ dream of leaving!!!"

Ryou laughed, finding the image fitting the boy too well. "But at least you have a job, ne?"

"ARGH!!!" The sudden outburst caused the albino to jump suddenly. Jou vigorously shook his head in frustration, "Why in the world did Yugi have to be _so_ nice?! Why the hell did he offer to pay for these stupid animals' houses?!?!?!" he gave his hair one good pull before letting his head fall on his chest. "Then we wouldn't need to look for all these weird jobs." He grumbled.

The albino frowned. As far as he could see, it was only right for them to pay for the beasts' lodgings and their food. They weren't leeches and even if they were, they'd never leech from a castle that still doesn't trust them completely – Ryou would never risk being thrown back in jail. He's been there enough.

_Besides_, Ryou thought, _we'll still need the money to revive the circus_. He wondered what Jou couldn't see in that.

"Oh, damn."

Ryou jerked his head towards the blonde. "Excuse me?" he didn't remember saying anything that could offend the blonde. Well, not unless he was saying out loud what he was thinking but that has never happened before.

"He saw me and he's coming here." Jou hissed through gritted teeth. His eyes were focused past the wizard beside him, straight at the long corridors along the sides of the palace. He bit his lip. "Of course that bastard would be here! _Argh._ I don't need to listen to his sermons right now." Quickly, he pushed himself off the fence he was leaning upon, eyes still focused on the figure that caught his eye.

"So sorry, Ryou. Gotta go now." The blonde made a short bow of apology before dashing away from the stables, to the opposite of where he was looking before.

Blinking a couple of times, Ryou turned his head to the palace halls and saw the striding form of Seto Kaiba who hastened his steps the moment Jou had ran away. A smile reached the wizard's eyes. He clasped his hands together and did what he never thought he would.

_Thank you, Lord, for bringing Sir Vizier to this ground._

- - -

It had been weeks since they had set out from the capital. They had passed a lot of villages who had all paid tribute to his majesty…or rather, Yugi. He had passed by the villages before as the beast tamer and it felt weird to be treated so differently in his majesty's clothing. He had sat down in each of the villages in their best room and listened as the villagers complained about one thing or another and asked for so much more. Funny, they seemed quite contented when he was there with the circus.

"You don't need to be so stiff while you're riding in the forest, Yugi."

Violet eyes shifted towards crimson. "Oh." He said, blushing slightly in embarrassment, "I'm sorry. It just feels like everything is watching my every move." His shoulders slacked and he let out a relieved sigh. "Does it always feel this way? I mean, as you." He dropped the reigns clenched tightly within his fists, letting the king's stallion move on his own, and turned his head to Atemu.

"When I was younger, yes." Atemu nodded his head, "But I don't even notice it nowadays." He offered a smile which the beast tamer instantly returned. "Are you tired?" he asked all of a sudden but the other simply replied with a couple of clueless blinks, "Oh god, of course you aren't. You're probably – no, you're _surely_ more used to traveling than any of us here. That was an unnecessary question."

Yugi shook his head, "No. It's okay. Thank you for asking." He smiled, "Are _you_ tired perhaps? Uhm, your maje –Atemu." He felt his face grow hot when he mentioned his majesty's name. He knew that there were only a handful of people that could call the king by his name and it felt…a bit weird but pleasing to be given such a privilege.

To the surprise of the soldiers accompanying them, the crimson-eyed king laughed, "Ah, you caught me." He rubbed the back of his head. "I've never traveled like this before. The last time I _did_ was during the war and I don't think it's considered traveling when you have an army marching behind you."

It was unusual to see the king acting so carefree and…well…_happy_. As far as the soldiers were concerned, his majesty had always been serious but they knew better than to be curious. The king's glare was something that none of them would like to be put under.

Yugi couldn't quite explain how Atemu became so calm and comfortable around him but he knew it started on this trip with a few words that slowly wove themselves into long conversations during their horse rides. The next thing the beast master knew they were already sharing laughs like long-time friends. And he was supposed to feel happy and pleased but somehow he couldn't shake that growing worry he knew he shouldn't have.

"But it's alright." Atemu shook the beast master out of his thoughts, "We should be nearing our destination soon. We'll rest there." He looked at the general for confirmation who nodded in return, "We'd prepare in the nearby town before going to that _thief's_ hide-out." He mentioned the item wielder with the same venom he had used all the times before.

Yugi had nodded absent-mindedly as he let his eyes wander lazily around him before he put up the straight-faced and stiff act that, as Seto Kaiba had put it, all kings should use. At first – no, the posture had always tired him more than his regular routine with the circus beasts and he couldn't help but wonder if all those "kings" felt the same weariness as he did…if Atemu feels it as well.

With a sigh, he turned his focus to his majesty back again…until a quick golden flash made his head spin back to the edges of the dirt road, just where the forest labyrinth started.

"Well, you should prepare as well, Yugi, before we get to the town." Came Atemu's voice. He calmly turned his crimson eyes to meet the velvet ones of the beast tamer but Yugi had placed his attention some place else – where, Atemu didn't care to know. A familiar sourness stung him – he knew it all too well, that rush of uncontrollable irritation that had led him to make his soldiers throw people away from his sight.

Atemu shook his head hard. _I_ can't _get angry at Yugi for ignoring me. That's just…_ , He paused and tried to follow the beast master's line of sight but found nothing but grass and dirt. …_too silly. Much too silly._ , With another shake of his head, he focused back on Yugi and called his name, this time with more urgency, "_Yugi._"

Yugi jumped, startled. He fumbled on the saddle, nearly falling off, and then jerked his head towards his other self. He gulped. The eyes Atemu had put on his made him feel like he had done something he never should've _thought_ of doing. He hunched his shoulders and lowered his head. Maybe he could look small enough to not be noticed?

"We're nearing the town, Yugi." Atemu's voice was calmer but stoic. He looked at Yugi, letting his eyes stay longer than necessary. Then he sighed. "You have to prepare, don't you?" He offered a smile which the beast master returned with a cheeky one of his own and it made him look like a child who got caught disobeying his mother. The king chuckled slightly, "Yugi." He raised and eyebrow.

"Yes, yes. Sorry." He mumbled, fixing his posture and taking the reigns back in his hands. He took one last look at the forest before focusing his eyes on the dirt road.

_There was something shiny back there…._

- - -

The town of Munin was a small village of clay houses and straw rooftops under the shadow of a towering jaggy mountain that protected them from the menace of nature. The people there were quiet and preferred to stay away from any stranger that came across their little town; and the sudden appearance of royalty sent them all scurrying to their homes, carrying the children playing in the mud.

Yugi swept his eyes across the now empty center of the village, watching the people peeking through cracks on their wooden doors and windows. He gulped as quietly and as inconspicuously as he could. Beneath him, his majesty's stallion stirred and snorted.

"Isn't anybody coming out…?" the beast tamer whispered to himself, his throat croaking for sounds of the village, not that of the forest. The two falcons perched near him flapped their wings and screeched, and Yugi unconsciously stroked their feathers to calm them.

Quickly, he was silenced by Atemu's crimson eyes. His majesty stared intently at his double then shook his head: _Don't. Don't question. Don't voice your doubts. Keep your air of confidence._ Yugi nodded his head. Atemu returned the gesture. Then, with one barely noticeable nod, he ordered one of the nearby soldiers to tend to their needs.

One by one, each of the soldiers went down their horses along with Yugi who was helped by his majesty himself. Curious velvet eyes scanned the empty roads of the village. Nervously, he toyed with the ends of his clean silk shirt until one of Atemu's hands swiftly stopped his fingers.

"Sorry." Yugi murmured.

A soft reassuring tap. "Don't be."

Violet eyes glanced at what little he could see of his majesty's head under bulky soldier's helmet. He hoped that his majesty didn't notice his slight falter. He was told from the very start, during his time of recovery, that resting his eyes on any of his people without the required audience was very unbecoming of a king. Oftentimes he had wondered what was so wrong about looking at his subjects but he could never gain any satisfying answer.

The village, he noticed, was very similar to his own, just before the war had destroyed it…though he could sincerely remember that they were much more open to travelers. Desperately, he tried to stop gnawing at his bottom lip. His posture was faltering, he knew and he was thankful for Atemu for keeping quiet.

At the far end of the town center, the doors of one of the houses opened. Slowly, an elderly man dressed in a multi-colored poncho, which reminded Yugi very much of his grandfather, came out with the aid of a young boy and a woman in her twenties. The old man stopped in front of the beast master and made a very slow formal bow.

"Your majesty." Came the raspy voice of the elder, "My apologies for the people of my village. This tiny town is hidden deep within the mountains and is rarely visited which is why we are not accustomed to," he paused and looked at the guards surrounding the king, "_strangers_."

Yugi took half a step forward, nearly stumbling as he did. "That is…fine." He said in a slow voice, choosing his words carefully.

The next few seconds came in silence. The village elder kept his eyes firmly at the beast master's chest, knowing very well how impolite it is to meet the eyes of royalty, but Yugi only felt the need to speak more. It was like a child tugging at the hems of his clothes along with an unbearable whining.

Giving to the whims of his invisible child, Yugi opened his mouth—

"Are there any lodgings in this place?" His crimson-eyed savior came once again to his rescue and Yugi let out a soft breath of relief. "For his majesty."

The voice was commanding, and the old man jumped out of his fixed gaze at Yugi's chest and gave one shaking nod. He whispered a few words at the young boy near him and the child raced back to the elder's house.

"I'm sorry but there are no inns in our village." The old man sighed, "We'll be happy to have you stay at my…uhm…_house_. There is nothing more we could offer." He turned his head away from Atemu and the beast master, obvious shame on his hanging head.

Atemu frowned. This town was unprepared for _his_ arrival – no, unprepared for the arrival of any traveler. What possessed that notorious thief to settle down in this _barren wasteland_ of a town? "Well, you _should_ be prepa—"

"That will be fine, thank you."

A pale hand was place on his majesty's arm and Atemu quickly closed his open mouth, giving the beast master a curious look but Yugi refused to look at him. He knew he could not argue with the beast master under these circumstances – it would seem unusual for a king and a soldier to converse – and he stepped back, letting Yugi be led to the clay house of the old man. He followed diligently.

The house was much too simple and bare for Atemu's liking but Yugi seemed to love it though he tried to keep himself calm and composed. The king didn't bother to listen to the old man's blabbing and instead, opted for counting the cracks and holes on the walls they passed along with the spider webs that hung from the low ceiling.

Atemu barely noticed as the elder finished his explanations and left both him and Yugi in the main bedroom. The squeak of the door closing behind him was heard only by deaf ears. There was a soft rustle of hay as the beast master happily jumped on the straw bed on one side of the room. Only the beast master's laughter shook his out of his daze and he quickly scanned the room for any sign of any townsfolk. Finding none, he dropped his shoulders in relief. He took off his helmet and placed it on a nearby table.

"Your majesty…Atemu?" Yugi's eyes were focused on the ceiling of wood and straw, lying spread eagle on the thin white sheets of the straw mattress. "I'm sorry for interrupting you a while ago. I hope I didn't offend you." He turned his head to meet his other self's gaze, following as the other walked to his side.

Atemu looked down on the beast master and shook his head. "It's fine. I suppose it's unreasonable to ask for something they don't have." He smiled and smiled even wider when it was returned. Wasn't he suppose to "discuss" that interruption with the beast master? He remembered thinking that but why was he returning smiles instead?

"I'm sure you're used to much better lodgings. After all, the rooms the other villages gave you felt…almost _holy_." Yugi pushed himself up with his elbows and sat cross-legged on the straw bed. He shifted his position so that he was facing the king and looked at the other with clear round velvet eyes, "Is this okay then?"

Atemu moved and sat on the edge of the bed. Yugi shifted slightly, like a child moving to hear his father tell a story.

"Yes, I suppose this will do." The king smoothened the cotton sheets with his tanned hands, "Though it is _very_ unusual for you to interrupt me when I'm speaking in your place." He raised an eyebrow at his twin who jumped back at his questioning gaze.

"I'm sorry." Small place hands covered his mouth in one swift gesture. Yugi kept forgetting that his majesty did not like it if he apologized unnecessarily or too much. When his other self remained silent, he continued, "I _know_ you're speaking for me to help me and I'm really thankful for saving me all those times."

Atemu grinned. It was amusing how the beast tamer saw it as "saving" when he spoke in _his_ "majesty's" place.

"But this village," Yugi took a deep breath, "This village reminded me _so_ much of my home and I…well…I didn't want to…uhm…cause it any trouble." He gulped then blushed. Somehow, that reason sounded much more solid when he was thinking about it.

The king remained silent. He wondered what the beast master was feeling right now. Was it a bittersweet happiness? Or nothing but pure sorrow? Yugi looked uncomfortable, that much he could tell but he was never good at guessing what a person feels. He had never cared much for it in the first place. He knew one thing though: that losing people precious to you was very painful. He learned very well when he had lost his parents.

"I shouldn't bother you with things like this, your majesty." Yugi forced a laugh, rubbing the back of his head out of habit, "After all, we're here to take one of the millennium item wielders back to the palace not reminisce in other villages." With a bounce on the straw mattress, he stood up and smoothened his clothes, plucking the hay that attached to him. "So, what are we supposed to do now that we're here?"

Atemu stood up in a slow and graceful – almost lazy – manner. He looked at the beast master and, to Yugi's surprise, wrapped his arms around his shoulders.

"…Your majesty?"

"Atemu."

Yugi blinked. He tried to turn his head to face his other self but it was tightly locked between the other's neck and shoulder. Carefully, he raised his arms and tapped his majesty's back reassuringly. "Atemu? What is it…?" he asked and the arms around him felt far tighter than before.

"It must be painful…" The voice was slightly muffled by the cape on Yugi's shoulders, "…to be reminded of your loss."

A big smile appeared on the beast master's lips and he suddenly felt like laughing. At first, he had though that it was the king who was asking for comfort but in fact, it was _his majesty_ comforting _him_. His raised arms stopped its reassuring and instead, returned the hug.

He remembered speaking of his lost village to the king that night long ago and Atemu had reacted so differently from today. He wondered what had brought the sudden change but he felt much too pleased to bother to think of any reason. "Atemu, it's okay. I'm okay." He barely noticed his breathy whisper to his majesty's ear, "Thank you."

The king shook his head. His other self's words tickled his ears like a feather and he didn't want to let go of the other…at least, not yet. He was very thankful that Yugi didn't push him away and instead, returned the hug.

A loud banging on the wooden door interrupted them both but Atemu refused to hear it. Only when the door was slammed open and Yugi instinctively pushed his other self away did the king turn to face the metal clad soldier who stood in what seemed like shock in front of them.

"Yes?"

His majesty's voice was coated in venom, the soldier expected that much after interrupting…whatever the king and the beast master was doing. Still, he, like every other soldier in the kingdom, wished little for his majesty's temper on them. After all, no person wants another's anger at him, especially if it's a king's.

"Is there anything _important_ you wish to tell me or do you simply _enjoy_ barging into other people's privacy?" Atemu stood in front of the guard, his arms crossed. The soldier was taller than him and he did not enjoy looking _up_ at his subjects. He glared with his sharp crimson eyes.

The soldier gulped. He had forgotten to genuflect and despite knowing how late it was, he fell down to the wooden floor with weak knees. "Ye-yes, your highness!" His head was bowed down, "We've found the thief's lair!!!"

The poor man didn't know how long he was kneeling there but by the time he lifted his head, his majesty and the beast master had already left the room.

- - -

There was a cave in the outskirts of the town, at the foot of the mountain that towered over the village. It wasn't well hidden nor was it hard to find with the winding dirt road that led to the place. There were lit torches hanging at both sides of the mouth of the cave, illuminating little of the darkness that lie within. It was a hideout that didn't hide and Atemu was very suspicious at the welcoming feel of the cavern.

They were hiding in the forest, watching the torches flicker at every breath of the wind. It was a few hours past noon and it was better to act while the sun was still high and that sneaky thief could not use the night to his advantage.

"Secure all other caves in the area. We want to make sure that that thief doesn't escape from us!" Atemu swept his hand in front of him and the soldiers gave him a salute, running to their assigned positions, "_I'll_ go in. The two of you," He pointed at two random soldiers, "will be my backup. I expect no mistakes from _any_ of you." He unsheathed the sword on his side, giving it one full swing then sliding it back to his side in one graceful flow.

"Uhm, Atemu? What about me?" Yugi placed a hand on his chest. His majesty had already told him not to come and still he followed them but he wanted to help. Was that so bad? Because right now, he was neglected and he felt useless and invisible.

The king paused in his steps. He turned around. "I'd rather have you return to the town. I don't want you to be involved with this. You don't need to be hurt for no reason." He gave a nod to one of the guards who rushed to the beast master's side.

Violet eyes glanced at the metal clad man on his side then turned unwavering eyes back at Atemu. "Please, let me stay. I can help you." He shook his head vigorously, "No, I _want_ to help you. _Please_ let me, your majesty."

Atemu let out a long sigh. "Yugi, we are dealing with a very notorious criminal here and you are no warrior. You'll just get injured and end up creating trouble for us." He refused to meet the beast tamer's eyes. What was so wrong in wanting the other to be safe? That's right. He just wanted to protect him so this should be alright.

Yugi looked down on his feet and clicked his toes together. "But…but…the caves might get you lost…and…well…I could help you there. I could help find the right way." He nodded, turning his head to face his majesty. "Please." _Don't leave me behind._

Atemu stared intently at the beast tamers violet eyes, caught in an invisible web. He turned back to the cave. "Don't get yourself hurt."

"I promise!" Like a child, Yugi's face lit up and he followed the king into the cave, skipping slightly in his steps.

The cave was very dark even under the light of the torches the two soldiers held in their hands. Yugi stared at the high ceiling and saw a handful of eerie yellow eyes. He smiled. The bright yellow eyes blinked then vanished into the shadows. A low and barely audible chuckled vibrated in his throat and he turned his eyes back to his majesty's proud back.

Then they stopped.

In front of them stood half a dozen splits in the road. Atemu looked at each of them and remained silent. He knew he should ask Yugi for help but no matter what words he formed in his head, they all sounded to helpless for his pride to carry. "Yugi—"

"We're looking for a person…right? A human being?" The beast tamer rushed in front of the group, his voice echoing in the vast curved walls of the cave.

For a second, Atemu was tempted to be sarcastic and say otherwise. He did not consider that thief to be a human being…like…ugh…_him_. He did not want to be similar to that person any way possible. But now was not the time to spill out his anger, especially on Yugi, and instead, he gave one nod.

"Then we can find him." Yugi gave a smile.

The next second, a high-pitched screech that could not be considered human resonated through the tunnel. The torches they were carrying flickered with the sound of loud flapping. In panic, the soldier drew out their swords but found no monster in sight.

"Hurry up! We'll lose them!!!" The beast master grabbed Atemu's sleeve and dragged him to the third whole from the left. Their escort followed suit.

"_Lose_ them? _Who_ are we following?" Atemu jogged to the beast tamer's pace. When he placed himself beside him, Yugi let go and suddenly, he wished he never did.

Yugi kept his eyes on the tunnel but still, he stumbled slightly on a rock. He pointed a finger at the roof of the cave and muttered, "The bats." He said, as though it was the most obvious and normal thing in the world.

"_The bats_????"

The beast master nodded. "Yes." Again, with the same tone, "There are a lot of them here. They know these tunnels very well and they have very good hearing so I'm sure we can trust them to lead us." He stopped and jumped over a stalactite. He took a deep breath then continued running. "They don't like the torches so they try to stay away so we have to keep up at their pace. Is it okay?" He glanced at his other self, tilting his head to one side.

In all honesty, he was very dubious about getting help from blood-sucking night beasts, especially when he couldn't even see where those bats were hiding (he was following Yugi). For all Atemu knew, they were leading them to one of Bakura's traps. But he trusted the beast master. Either way, they'd be better off following winged rats than standing around and making coin tosses to choose their way.

It felt like they were going in circles. Atemu had tried to remember which way they took but the innumerable twists and turns and passages sent his memory in a crash. Everything looked the same and everything looked different.

"Damn thief, what kind of hellish tricks do you have up your sleeves?" he muttered under his breath.

"Hmm? Atemu? What is it?"

The crimson-eyed king was startled though he tried not to show it. He turned to the beast master and realized for the first time that they had all stopped running.

"We're here." Yugi pointed at the vast open space in front of them. Various tunnels and mouths decorated the walls. It seemed like this place led to many and many led to this place. "That person we're looking for is here, they say."

Atemu could see no sign of life around the area aside from the numerous bright yellow eyes at the very top of the cove. He took careful steps, his hands on the hilt of his sword. With keen eyes, he scanned the area, motioning for the soldiers to light any corner with their torches but he could not find any sign of that notorious thief. He glanced at the beast tamer. He didn't want to disappoint the other. A long and heavy sigh escaped his lips.

"To _whom_ do I owe the _honor_ of his _majesty's_ presence?" The words bounced off the walls in a series of echoes.

_That voice…!_ , In one quick motion, Atemu unsheathed his sword and the torches went out, leaving them all in a flustered darkness. "Damn you, _Bakura_!!!" He slashed blindly around him but a scream from the beast master, reminded him that he was not alone.

"Yugi? Where are you?" His voice was shaking in panic and he didn't like it. "LIGHT YOUR TORCHES, SOLDIERS!!!" he yelled in the darkness and a second later, he heard the sound of sparks. The torches gained life once again and they chased away the darkness that enveloped them all to the long shadows the people cast on the ragged walls of the cave.

Crimson eyes swept the cave, nearing desperation. He could not find the beast master. He could not find Yu—

"Hmm? You're not the king. Who are you?"

Violet eyes met coffee ones. Yugi did not know whether to be frightened or not. He was pinned to the ground – there was a couple of rocks beneath him and it hurt to be pressed down on them – with a curved dagger pressed to his throat. The arm pushed across his shoulders led to a man who eerily resembled one of his dearest friends. He would've pinched himself to see if he was dreaming, if what he was seeing was an illusion made by the darkness of the cave and the dim lights of the torches, but he could not move his arms with that man's legs in the way. And, he realized, the man was getting quite heavy and the rocks he was lying upon felt sharper by the second.

"I'm _sure_ I saw that arrogant _bastard_ of a king. He _definitely_ doesn't look like _this_ pipsqueak." The white-haired man raised an eyebrow, looking almost as if he had let his guard down if not for that cold metal Yugi could feel on his neck that kept getting closer and closer. "Maybe I shouldn't have blown out their torches so early."

A loud angry shout came closer to the two and a flash of silver swept across the man who had pinned Yugi. For a second, the beast master thought that someone was just sliced in half on top of him but was relieved to see the person jump out of the way, somersaulting as he did. Yugi was _not_ prepared for such bloodshed.

The beast master took deep and even breaths. He rubbed his neck carefully then looked at his palms. In the dim orange lights, Yugi could barely distinguish the small slashes of blood on his hand. Only then did his neck start stinging.

Metal clashing upon metal, sliding with each other and sparking as they met. Wide violet eyes watched as his majesty and the man-who-looked-like-Ryou-but-wasn't fought with a dagger and a rapier. He sat there, staring in shock and in the corner of his eyes, he found the two soldiers as flabbergasted and frozen as he was.

Yugi felt the need to do something, _anything_ to aid his majesty but everything was just so confusing and the clash of metal rang in his ears like war drums of an ancient tribe. He didn't know who was losing and who was winning, and if the help he was planning would help who he wanted it to.

_Stop spinning, stop spinning!_ , He ran his hand through his hair, pulling at the roots to stop that oncoming headache. _What am I supposed to do here? Atemu…._

He had no time to think. He could not think. He pressed two fingers to his lips and blew a loud and high-pitched whistle that mimicked the screeches of the cave dwellers. The bright yellow eyes scattered on the roof grew wide. The beasts spread their wings and rushed in a spiral towards the thief and the king, causing them both to stop their fight. They waved their hands furiously, swinging their blades and hitting nothing but air, until the bats vanished through the numerous tunnels that decorated the cove.

There was a loud crash and when the banging in Yugi's head stopped, his eyes clear, Atemu had the white-haired man at his grasp, the blade of his rapier at the very place the other had pressed his dagger to.

"Game over, thief." Atemu pulled at the arm in his hand, stomping his boot on the other's back, "You know you'll never win against me." He flashed a triumphant and arrogant smirk.

Bakura grumbled, cursing so much that it sounded like he spoke a different language. "_Fuck_ you! We had a _deal_, you bastard of a king!!!!" He struggled out of the other's clutches but only received a stomp at his back, "You're not supposed to arrest me, damn fucking _blue-blood_!!! That was part of that _stupid_ deal!!!"'

Yugi could swear that smirk of his majesty was laughing on its own though he couldn't hear the tiniest snicker.

"You are not being arrested." Atemu tapped the thief's head with the flat of his sword, "You are being _escorted_ to the capital."

- - -

"Damn fucking motherfucker."

Yugi blinked. He glanced around him but found no one other than him to react to the thief's curses. "Mister Bakura sir, you sure like cursing a lot, don't you?" he forced a nervous smile. That was all he had heard from the white-haired thief's mouth since they left Munin. Thinking about the village, he missed _his_ hometown already.

Bakura snorted, "OF COURSE I'M GONNA CURSE THIS MUCH, YOU IDIOT!!!" he grabbed the metal bars that surrounded him firmly and rattled them with all his might. "You fucking call _this_ escorting?!?! I'm frickin' locked in an _animal cage_!!!!"

The beast master gulped. He stroked the stallion's mane and set it to ride at the cage's pace. "Oh, I'm sorry but Atemu insisted that you be kept there because you were very _very_ dangerous, sir." He placed a hand on the cold metal bars and looked the thief in the eyes, "Are _you_ very dangerous, Mister Bakura sir?"

Bakura stared at the beast master in his majesty's clothes, riding his majesty's stallion and he twitched. _Oh no, I'm not dangerous at all. I just fucking put a knife to your neck and THREATENED YOUR LIFE. No, I'm not dangerous. It's all a BIG scam._ , He was so tempted to say but looking at that wide-eyed look on the other's face, he doubted any of it would get to his brain.

"No need to be polite to him, Yugi." Atemu smiled at his doppelganger then turned to face the thief in scowls. "What? I think that cage fits you well. You're much more of an _animal_ than any animal _I've_ seen." He put a hand to his mouth and snickered.

The white-haired thief glared, his left eye flinching, "And I see _you've_ lost your backbone in all those _lovely_ years we haven't seen each other." He leered at Yugi who jumped at his seat and looked away, "Since when did you get a _fetish_ for decoys?"

Yugi blushed and Atemu poked the thief with the blunt end of his spear. "Shut up, thief!"

"What? Using this pipsqueak here as your shield is _far_ too cowardly even for my standards!!!" Bakura felt a wave of satisfaction when the king looked worriedly at the embarrassed doppelganger, "Is this bastard bullying you?" he almost doubled over in laughter.

Yugi shook his head sharply. "No, no. Please don't think that way!" He turned to the thief and slapped a hand to his chest, letting the reins fall down from his fingers, "_I'm_ the one who offered my help to the capital! Atemu was against it very much but I…I…I wanted to help." He bowed his head down. Recalling the event from before, he wondered if he really _did_ be of some help.

Bakura raised an eyebrow. It was quite unusual, from the very start, for a commoner to call the king of the country by his birth name (and live to tell) but for the king to care about that said commoner's life was more than rare. He glanced at his majesty and found him following the other with a careful gaze. He snickered. _Oh, so that's how it is._

"Say anything and I'm gonna _thrust_ this spear _through your chest_." Atemu clanged the smooth metal spearhead against the iron bars of the cage, glaring at the thief who was more than happy to glare back.

"What? I was just about to tell the kid here that he dropped the reins." Bakura jabbed a finger at the stallion, "We wouldn't want _your_ double to get _wild_ with that stallion of yours, now would we?"

That seemed to snap Yugi out of his stupor. "Don't worry about it, Mister Bakura sir. He won't run away, right?" he leaned forward, caressing the horse with his small and pale hands. In response the beast snorted, tossing his head up as if to nod. The beast master giggled.

Oh yes, he remembered now. When he and the king were fighting in the caves, there was this whistle and then the bats started acting whacko, as if they intended to push the two of them away from each other. Could it be…? "Hey kid, what do you do for a living? A vagabond?"

Yugi stared at the thief. "Please stop calling me kid, Mister Bakura sir. I'm already 18."

If Bakura was drinking, he would have sprayed water all over the person in front of him. 18? The kid _surely_ didn't look his age but then his majesty wasn't all that vertically blessed. He smirked. Maybe it runs in the looks? Or does it have something to do with the hair?

"But as for the job…." The beast tamer took a deep breath then grinned brightly at the thief in his cage, "I'm a circus performer! I handle the beasts!!!" He said proudly. How he missed his friends and the beasts. He can't wait to get back to the capital now.

"Eh? What the hell is a circus guy doing with _this_ king???" Though it definitely did explain the other's skills, it did raise more questions with his relations with his majesty.

Yugi gasped, "Oh, that's because _our_ ringmaster was the cause for the disappearance of the millennium items! I'm just doing my part." He nodded mostly to himself, "And besides, I _have_ to keep the circus animals somewhere. The palace agreed to house them when I offered my help."

"And what's wrong with keeping them in the circus?"

The beast master froze. He didn't know _how_ to answer that. He didn't want to seem like he bore any ill will towards his majesty and he didn't want to look like he was being bullied into this decoy job when it was he who offered. He sighed. What _was_ he going to say?

"That is none of your business, thief. Since when did _you_ get an interest in other people's lives? Aren't you so self-centered that you bother with no one but yourself?" Atemu had said this with gritted teeth. There was sting on his chest that kept on growing as Bakura and the beast master was immersed in a comfortable conversations. Was it…by chance…jealousy?

"Haha. Says the spoiled rich brat of the century." The white-haired thief sneered.

Atemu glared and "accidentally" let his spear _almost_ run through the other. "Why not just sit down and keep quiet before you stay in that cage for eternity?"

"And you're asking for my help? Pathetic!" Bakura kicked the spear away. He leaned on the metal bars of the cage, creating a loud rattling noise, then fell down to the floor with crossed legs. "Fine. As long as you give me the same kind of food served to you, then I'll keep quiet. I'm not standing for crap like pig feed."

"As if you stand for anything at all." Atemu shrugged. It didn't matter anyway whether or not that thief was fed good food. "Well, the sky's going dark. We better make camp here." With those words, the whole entourage stopped. The king walked to his stallion's side and offered his help to the beast tamer. It was habitual by now and it was one of the few things he didn't mind doing on his own. But the beast master didn't respond this time. "Yugi?"

Yugi had his eyes focused on the trees. He recognized this place very well. He had wanted to come back here and check that thing that blinded him with a golden shine. He just hoped it was still there.

"Yugi? Are you alright?"

"Hmm? Yes, yes. I'm sorry. I got distracted!" The beast tamer took the king's hand and helped himself off the stallion's high back. He flashed a smile that was much brighter and happier than any he had before, and his majesty froze, a light touch of pink on his cheeks. "Thank you, Atemu."

Yugi was _definitely_ going to find that flash of gold.

- - -

The forest air was cool and refreshing at sunset. It was the time of the day when the crickets would awaken and start planning their evening song. In the labyrinth of the misleading trees, Yugi walked in ease with one of the pair of falcons they brought on his leather-padded shoulder.

"Well then, Merlin! Let's start our little scavenger hunt!" The falcon rose to the air with his blue wings and the beast tamer quickly dropped to his knees and searched the ground.

He wondered if it was okay not to tell Atemu where he was going. He _had_ told one of the ranks that he wanted to search the surroundings for some healing herbs. It wasn't an entire lie. He really _did_ get a few herbs which were now stuffed securely in the leather pouch on his waist. Now that that was over, he wanted to search for his shine.

"Ah! I found one!" He exclaimed in excitement. He grabbed the piece from the weeds that grew at the roots of a maple tree and stood up quick, bothering little with the dirt on his clothes.

Yugi lifted the item to the sky and under the red-orange gaze of the setting sun, the shiny piece twinkled. It was a small gold piece molded into an unusual shape. It had corners and angles but it was no cube nor square or any other shape that came into his mind. It was almost as if it was a puzzle piece.

The beast tamer gasped. He was an avid fun of puzzles. "I have to find the rest of them!!!" he shrieked like a little child. Above him, Merlin circled around his head then dropped another golden piece to the beast master's hand. "Oh, that's great, Merlin!! Keep up the good work!!!" he pointed to his left, "You search there!" he pointed to his right, "I'll search here, okay?" With a screech, the blue-plumed falcon flapped his way to the left as the beast tamer rushed to the right.

It was a fun hunt for Yugi. By the time, the sun had vanished, him and Merlin had collected ten gold pieces; all of which were placed securely in his leather pouch, along with the herbs that were surely crushed the pieces.

"That should be enough for today, right? We wouldn't want Atemu to get mad at us if we don't return soon." The falcon screeched in reply and settled contentedly on the beast tamer's shoulder. It would be easy enough to get back. The orange glow of the numerous torches and bonfires in the camp was easy enough to spot, especially with Merlin around. Besides, he had traveled he forest in dark before. It wasn't so bad.

"Oh, are you shedding, Merlin? There's so many feather's on the ground." In one quick motion, Yugi fell to his knees and inspected the feathers. They were brown and black. Merlin's were blue and white. "Then whose is this?"

Yugi was a natural animal lover – that was something that need not be stated. So he followed the trail of feathers and it led him to the foot of the nearby mountain. He looked up in awe. It was vague but he could make out the signs of a large nest. Had an eagle chick fallen of her nest? Or was there an injured bird?

Violet eyes scanned the ground as much as he can with the limited light. He was thankful for the brightness of the half moon. He was used to the darkness of the forest but human eyes can only see so much.

Then he gasped.

"It's a griffin chick!" Nervously, he searched for any signs of the parents but was relieved to find none. Griffins were very protective and possessive of their young and despite his inclination to beasts, an enraged mother griffin was difficult to calm. He could save his life but not other people's. That was why the circus had never meddled with the griffins.

With a sigh, Yugi knelt down and gazed at the injured chick. She had made no noise at the sight of him and even seemed to be happy about it but Yugi knew better. "What am I going to do with you? I can't just leave you here…but…." He glanced once again at the nest on the mountainside then back at the chick. Should he risk it? A newborn chick with the smell of humans upon it would be eaten by its own kind. He wasn't sure if she was a newborn or if she had never seen her parents but he didn't want to be the cause of this chick's death. On the other hand, leaving her down here without the safety of her nest would surely kill her.

Yugi sighed. If it were Atemu, he wouldn't care about what would and would not happen. He would simply bring the chick to her nest. Sure, he knew that Atemu would not necessarily care about saving a griffin chick. He knew that Atemu wasn't a good king. He was selfish at times and arrogant at most but stuck to his decisions and Yugi had admired that iron will of his…even though the results weren't always good.

So, the beast tamer took a deep breath and scooped the willing chick into his arms. Her claws were sharp and it wounded his skin. He hadn't counted on seeing a griffin much less saving it so he only brought protection from Merlin's claws. He hissed but decided to ignore the pain and focused on climbing the mountain side.

It was dangerous to climb anywhere during the night but somehow, Yugi made it in one piece, save the injuries he received from the griffin child.

"Well then, don't fall off your nest next time, okay? I might not be the one who finds you and you'd get in a _loooootttt_ of trouble." He wagged a finger in front of the chick that noticed little of it and instead, drifted off to sleep.

Yugi sighed. "Good night then, chick." He pushed away the pebbles and stones to one side and threw away the shiny spearheads that looked so new and so similar to the weapons of the ranks back at the ca—

He froze. What were those doing there…? In one quick motion that made his head spin, he turned to the direction of the camp. There was no smoke. There was no fire. But in Yugi's panicked eyes, he saw the orange glow of the camp as a monster from hell that swallowed them in a sea of flames.

_My village was also burned to the ground…. That's right. So, is Atemu going to burn—_

Yugi ran. He stumbled on the mountainside and fell flat on his chest on a nearby bush. He struggled to get up and crawled to his knees then ran once again. Above him, Merlin screeched and screeched but he could not hear him.

—_to the ground—_

Griffins were dangerous creatures. They were strong like dragons and ran around in packs like hellhounds. Mere foot soldiers could not match them and swords would be useless. Especially against enraged parents. Why couldn't they see that? Why couldn't they just leave them alone?

—_just like everything—_

The forest felt and looked like the maze it had never been to Yugi. He didn't know where he was going, if he was nearing the camp or running away from it but he was much too dizzy to care. He could hear the screeches of griffins and the screams of men and that was all that mattered.

There was orange light at the far end of the maze and he rushed to it, ignoring the branches he had broken and the cuts on his arms.

—_I held dear?_

"STOP IT!!!!" Yugi heard his voice so loud but the battle of metal clad men and the winged beasts ate his words as if it was nothing. His knees felt weak and he fell down on the ground. He shut his eyes tightly. He did not want to see the blood of both humans and beasts, and the battle between them.

_Please, just make it stop. Just make it all stop. Make everything stop. Just stop. Stop._ , Yugi wasn't praying. He was pleading with everything he had to whoever would hear his call. There was a soft thud and a rush of air, and as he opened his eyes, he was greeted by the screech of one of the griffins but he felt no fear.

_Please…._ , He bowed his heavy head. With a weary hand, he reached towards the griffin, knowing little of what he was doing, and clenched the feathers on his limbs tightly, "…don't make him disappear…." It was a plead said in a feather's whisper.

There was a rush of cool wind and Yugi felt refreshed, as though that wind blew away all his worries and his pain. When he lifted his head up, he saw nothing of the griffins but the feathers they left behind. None of the soldiers seemed to notice him as they all tended to their injuries and the damage of the camp.

"Yugi! YUGI!!!" It was a familiar and calming voice and even the loud and panicked screeching of Merlin could do nothing to block it.

"Where were you? Are you alright?" Atemu crouched down and placed his palms on the beast tamer's shoulders. "I saw that – that – that—"

"Griffin."

"—that _griffin_ land in front of you! Did it injure you? Are these its doing?!?!" The king grabbed Yugi's limp arm and stared at the shallow cuts all over them. "What happened?! What did that monster do to you?!?!?!"

"No…. He's not a monster…. Please don't call him that." Yugi shook his head clutched the king's arm tightly in one hand, "They didn't do anything. These cuts are my fault." His eyes felt heavy and he knew they looked very glassy but still he looked up and faced the king and what he saw made the tears fall from his eyes. "You're injured…." He rubbed his arm that was filled with cuts and bruises across his eyes.

"Oh, this? This is nothing compared to what my men suffered." Atemu ran a hand across the shallow but red claw marks that stretched from his shoulder to his chest. He could feel the beast tamer shaking and he was using his wounded arm to rub across his eyes. "Don't, Yugi. You're wounded too." He pried the arm carefully away from the other's face and was shocked to see the tears. "Why are you crying, Yugi?"

The beast tamer shook his head and refused to meet the king's crimson gaze.

"Come on, now." The king lifted his twin by the shoulders and let him stand on his own. He had made a move to carry him but the other pushed him away. "Let's just go back to my tent. Then we could take care of _both_ our injuries." The beast tamer was silent but he let Atemu lead him towards one of the few tents that still stood amidst the chaos.

Atemu had refused all the offers of medical attention from his ranks. It was a harsh lesson during the war: that a king was nothing without his people. He could not fight alone and so, the safety and survival of his soldier meant everything. An injury as shallow as this – he glanced at his chest and ripped clothes – was nothing to fuss about. He could take care of this with his own hands.

What worried him most was the state of the beast master. He was crying and Atemu didn't know why. Yugi didn't weep when he was injured at the palace and he didn't scream when Bakura threatened his life. And he could not bring himself to believe that the cause of all this sorrow would be the beasts that Yugi adored. Most of all, if these cuts were caused by those claws and what did?

"Sit down, Yugi. We'll treat your cuts." Atemu smiled. It had always made him feel better when the beast master gave him a smile and he hoped he could do the same.

Yugi's head snapped up. Then he turned to his majesty and shook his head. "No, please. Let's treat yours first." Those clear violet eyes were begging so much that Atemu couldn't refuse and so the king sat down on the silk sheets of his bed and watched worriedly as the beast tamer walked with soft steps towards the makeshift table of chests. With a sigh, the king carefully took off his ripped tunic. The sooner they were finished with his treatment, the sooner he could tend to the obvious distress of the beast master.

Yugi took the leather pouch on his side and placed it on the table. He took the healing herbs he was thankful to find and placed them on the cloth. The golden puzzle pieces that shone so bright and happy a while ago suddenly looked dull and rusted and he quickly closed the pouch and placed it back at his side.

It was a silent process of grinding the herbs and to the king it felt long and painful. For what seemed like eternity, Yugi turned around with a plate of thick green liquid in his hands. The beast tamer sat beside the king and spread the dubious green paste across his majesty's wound.

Atemu flinched. The liquid felt cool to his skin but Yugi's touch felt like fire. He watched his other self wipe away the paste with a cloth when he finished then grabbed a few rolls of bandage. All the time he kept trying to meet those clear violet eyes but he failed each time. Yugi simply did not want to look at him.

Yugi wrapped his majesty's wound with downcast eyes. When he had finished, he leaned on the king's strong shoulders, feeling far tired than he had ever been in his whole life.

"Is it finished? We can work on your wounds now—"

"Why did you have to do it…?"

Atemu froze. He didn't remember doing anything to cause the beast master such a mood…or had he…? He desperately hoped he didn't.

"Why did you have to go and bother the griffins? Why did you have to hunt them down?" Yugi took one sharp intake of breath, clutching his majesty's arm tightly, "Why did I have to go and leave camp?" His voice sounded nasal and the tears in his eyes he could contain no more, "Why couldn't I just stayed here and stopped you from meddling with the griffins? Why did I leave you all?"

"No, Yugi. It's not your fault. Don't think like that." Atemu shook his head. His chest felt heavy when he looked at the beast master in this state. He couldn't bear it.

But Yugi heard none of Atemu's words. "I was supposed to stay here. That was my job. I was supposed to be here and be you and I failed you all." He was sobbing and he wanted to stop but no matter how much he gritted his teeth and held his breath, the tears kept falling.

Atemu frowned and he turned to face the beast master. He placed his hands on the other shoulders and shook him. "No. _Your_ job is to _die_ in my place. And I don't want you to die so I don't want you to do your job well." He had used his voice of authority. It was a voice that had never failed him but it did nothing to soothe the other.

"But you were all _burning_." Yugi said in one breath of horror.

The king scrunched his face, "Burning…? There was no fire, Yugi. What are you talking about?" his voice was in panic.

"Every single one of you was being swallowed alive by flames." The hand that clutched tightly at his majesty's arm was shaking wildly, "And I pleaded with them to stop but they wouldn't listen. They never did. They didn't listen when they took away everything that was important to me!"

Oh…Atemu realized now…it was fire that consumed his hometown and Yugi…his precious Yugi was afraid, very afraid. And fear, fear chased men like a cunning pack of wolves. He pulled his other self to his chest and hugged him so tight because he didn't want to let him go and it felt like he was vanishing right before his very eyes.

"I kept on pleading and begging until one of them listened and I just…I just…oh god…I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!!! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Yugi shook his head vigorously and it made him dizzy and tired. Desperately, he clutched at Atemu's back, pulling him into a tighter hug. "I just…I just…didn't want you to disappear!!! Don't disappear…. Please. Just don't disappear."

"It's okay, Yugi. I promise not to disappear. I promise." Atemu pressed his forehead on Yugi's own. He stared intently at those wide violet eyes and gods, did they look beautiful, like pearls fresh from the ocean floor. Why hadn't he noticed it before?

"You…promise…?"

"As long as you promise to stay." The king smiled and Yugi gave nod. "That's good, Yugi. That's very good." He pressed his lips to the other's forehead then to his nose then his tear-stained cheeks. "Yugi, stay with me." Atemu knew little of what he was doing but it felt right and when he pressed his lips upon Yugi's own, he was lost.

His lips were was as soft as he had always thought it would be. Had he been thinking about this before? About keeping the beast tamer with him? About capturing those soft petal lips with his own? He couldn't quite remember and it mattered little at the moment.

_Deeper, deeper._ , There was a voice in his mind and it urged him to follow. The arms he had wrapped around the beast master wound tighter. One hand pressed on Yugi's back and the other trailed his cheek to his hair.

His chest kept screaming, Air! Air! But he didn't want to stop, didn't want this to end. _Damn, who needs air?_

_Yugi does._

His eyes snapped open. Slowly and hesitantly, Atemu left those soft lips. Velvet violet eyes fluttered open. In a nauseating daze, Yugi ran a couple of fingers across his moist and warm – _too warm_ – lips. _He kissed me…._ , There was a knot, tying and untying itself in his stomach. At one point it hurt and he felt the urge to vomit; at another, it felt soothing and he simply wanted to sleep.

_He kissed me. His majesty did._

It was a tsunami that crashed on him and woke him up. His dazed eyes grew wide in shock. He stood up straight, slapping both of his palms onto his lips. He gasped.

_Atemu kissed ME on the LIPS._

"Yugi…?" Atemu watched as the beast master grew from flushed to beet red. He had almost laughed at the amusement until the beast tamer rushed out of the tent, never looking at his majesty. "Wait! Yugi! Don't leave!" He stood up, "We still have to treat your wounds!!!" he pulled open the curtain that served as a door for the tent rushed out.

He scanned his surroundings. The beast tamer was nowhere in sight. How could someone so significant be so inconspicuous in a sea of injured metal clad men?

"Where are you, Yugi? Where did you go?" Atemu wondered if he did anything wrong. Was that kiss a mistake? Had he made the beast tamer hate him instead of love him? He had kissed a few people before and none of them objected. Every single one of them was pleased and took advantage of that attention. Oh, but Yugi would never take advantage of him. He was much too kind. So why did he run away? "_Why_ did you run away, Yugi?"

"Looking for the beast kid?"

Atemu whirled his head around and he saw that white-haired thief in his cage. It was funny how the cage that was meant to keep him away became his protection from that attack of those griffins. And it mocked his majesty to no end. "What do you want, thief?" His normally proud voice faltered and he sounded like a pissed off drunkard.

Bakura shrugged, "Nothing really. I'm safe from harm here and I've got good food." He smirked at the king's glare. "Besides, I'm the one who asked you a question. Looking for that circus tamer?"

Crimson eyes steeled at the mention. He stood up straight. "What do you know of Yugi? Where did he go?"

Bakura rolled his eyes. Was it some kind of noble thing? To answer questions with questions? He could go on asking that one question to mock _his majesty_ to no end. Maybe he could test how long it would take the king to give up on him and look for the kid on his own. He snickered. That would be fun. "Why? Did you and your little boyfriend got into a fight?"

"Damn it, thief!" A fist banged on the metal bars of his protective cage. "Just tell me if you saw him or not?! Can't you just say yes or no?!?!?!" Another bang rattled the cage. "ARGH!!! I don't have _time_ for this!!!"

It was a bit surprising. The arrogant king he knew from before lost that proud composure he had clung so stubbornly to at the face of the beast tamer. He wanted to mock the king but it seemed like none of his words would be noticed not unless he spoke of that kid. "Hey, don't get so worked up about it. For all we know, you're just caught in that little web of charm that beast kid has."

Atemu froze. He turned his attention back to the white-haired thief and asked cautiously, "What…are you talking about, thief?"

"What? You don't know?" Mock surprise, "Aren't _you_ caught so well?"

"Don't play with me, thief!"

A low chuckle rumbled in Bakura's throat. "Of course you don't. After all, a house wife like you," There was a loud rattle on his cage and it felt like an earthquake, "would hear nothing of the outside world." He stood up and leaned on the metal bars so that he was looking down on the king. "Haven't you ever wondered how that kid could command all those beasts? What kind of spell – no, it's more like a charm. A natural charm."

Atemu looked up. It was something he hated to do, especially in front of that notorious thief but he wanted to hear this, needed to.

"I've heard of it a lot. It's a charm that _attracts_ a lot of attention. It's supposed to be a dangerous one, to be the object of every pack's hunt, but it seems that kid has a talent for _befriending_ the wild." The king remained passive and Bakura knew he thought of no connection to that fact with him. He grumbled and rolled his eyes. "What? You don't think that charm affects humans? Considering how _fond_ you are of that kid, I can't see why not."

There was a dangerous gleam in his majesty's eyes. His affection for Yugi was not just a simple _charm_. Was this thief mocking him? Yugi was not some thing that he would be forgotten when dead. He wanted to keep the beast tamer, safe from harm and the sorrows of the world. And he knew that he could not bear his death, definitely not _his_ death.

The screech of a bird caught his attention. Crimson eyes darted to find that distinct blue plumage. Glancing quickly at Bakura, he said, "Don't _mock_ me, thief."

He rushed to that falcon – Merlin or Morgan or whatever its name is; he never could tell which is which – that flew low but swiftly over his men. The falcons were what Yugi used to keep in touch with the capital, sending letters every now and then but the bird that flew had nothing attached to its legs, and if _that_ bird had anywhere to go, it would surely go to Yugi.

- - -

Yugi sat with his knees to his chest and his back to the sturdy trunk of a maple tree. He placed his chin on his knees and wrapped his arms – arms that were filled with cuts and bruises – around them, drawing circles on the dirt with his fingers. He sighed.

Why did he have to run straight in the forest? He was sure that his majesty was looking for him. It was deep in the night and he might get lost. Yugi didn't want his majesty to disappear like that. "He shouldn't have kissed me…." He whispered, pressing his lips to his knees.

He liked the king very much—

No, he shouldn't be thinking about things like that. He should just forget it all. It's all for the best. His majesty is surely just caught in his little web of charm. Taking it further would only jeopardize whatever they have now. Augh. Why was he thinking about this? Too much, too much! He should just forget it all. That's what he said. Yes, think about something else. Good things. Happy things. Bright things. Shiny things. Puzzles.

Oh. He remembered now. He had left the camp – argh! Bad things! Just the puzzle. The golden puzzle pieces that sparkled like stars. That was a good thing.

Yugi kneeled forward. He took the leather pouch on his side – thank goodness it was still there! – and spilled the contents on the dusty ground. The pieces fell upon each other, making a soft _cling!_ as they hit. He took one piece and another and started to fit them but no matter what he used, none of them would fit each other.

"Hmm…I knew it. I'm missing a lot of pieces." The beast tamer leaned back and crossed his arms. "Searching the forest thoroughly would take _months_ no matter how much help I get." He sighed, "I should just get back here one day, after all of this is over and look for it. It's be my great worldwide golden puzzle scavenger hunt." He proudly raised a piece and it sparkled under the light of the half moon. "I wonder what kind of picture you will form…."

He could hear the distinct flap of wings and the screech of a falcon. He blinked. "…Morgan?" The blue falcon fluttered slowly to the leather pad on his shoulder that he was yet to remove, "What are you doing here? Were you worried?" He giggled when the falcon nipped lightly at his ear, "I'm sorry. I promise I won't run away like that anymore."

"Well then, that's a promise to keep."

Yugi gasped loudly and he quickly grabbed the golden puzzle pieces and put them in his pouch. He wondered why he did but his head was starting to spin again and he couldn't think. "Your majesty! I-I-I-I didn't mean to run away like that! I'm sorry!!!" he bowed his head quickly.

Atemu took a deep breath. He straightened his shoulders and plucked away the leaves and branches caught on his arms. He had forgotten that he had nothing on his torso except the bandages that Yugi had wrapped around his wound and he suddenly started to feel cold but he shrugged it off and turned his crimson gaze at the beast tamer. "Are you going to stop calling me by name now? It would be very disappointing if you did."

Yugi could feel his face grow hot and he tried to shake it off to no avail. "But…but…but your maje—Atemu! I don't want to destroy anything between us!"

"…Between us…?" His majesty crouched in front of the beast tamer and placed a hand on his chin, forcing the other to look up, "Tell me, Yugi, is there _anything_ between us?"

Yugi turned his head back down, knocking his other self's hand away. "I like you a lot, your majesty. I like it when we talk to each other because it feels comfortable and…nice. But when you…_kissed_ me…." He turned his eyes sharply to meet the king's gaze, "You don't like me that way, Atemu. That's not real, not real at all! It's a fake, fake, fake—"

"—charm?"

Yugi gasped, "You…you knew…?" he clamped a hand over his mouth and started taking deep and even breaths.

Atemu nodded, "Well, as much as I wouldn't like to admit it, that _thief_ was the one who told me, just a few moments ago."

"Then you're gonna _hate_ me now!" Small pale palms slapped over his eyes and he jerked his head down, muttering so much words that his majesty couldn't understand. "I _should've_ known this would happen!"

A chuckle escaped his lips. Atemu knew he shouldn't be laughing but he couldn't stop it. The next second, a loud laugh rang through the forest and he leaned back, clutching his stomach with one hand.

"_Why_ are you laughing?!?! _This isn't funny_!!!!" Yugi gritted his teeth. He raised a fist and slammed it as hard as he could on his majesty's leg. Then he gasped. "Oh my, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit you or anything, Atemu! It's just that…that…you were _laughing_ at me!!! Don't do that!" Again, he pounded on the king's leg and, with shocked eyes, he pulled back.

"It's okay, Yugi. I didn't feel it." Atemu flapped a hand, taking deep breaths to stop his laughter. "Yugi," He said in a clear voice, "I don't hate you at all. _Where_ did you get _that_ idea?"

"But, but, but—"

"Yugi." He would _never_ get tired of saying that name, "I like you and that's not because of that…that…spell-charm or whatever it is!" Atemu rolled his eyes at the suggestion. "And I was hoping that you'd trust me. That you'd believe in me just as I believe in you." He cupped the other's cheek and steadied his head, their eyes focused on each other. "Besides, you promised to stay with me, right? And I don't think that you're the type of person to break promises."

Yugi shook his head. That's right. He never breaks his promises, just as his majesty never breaks his word. But still, he didn't think he could stand to stay with a person bound under his…ugh…charm. It wouldn't be real and Yugi can't bear to live a fake life. Because it'd hurt far too much when the dream ends.

…_believe in me just as I believe in you…_

That was his majesty's words. And it felt like the right thing to do. But what if…if…or maybe—ARGH! His head was hurting too much. Why did he have to think—?

"Yugi." Atemu caressed his cheek with his thumb, "You think too much. Let's just get back to camp and treat those cuts on your arms." He stood up and dusted off his trouser then he offered a hand to the beast master. "I doubt I can find my way back before sunrise if I don't have your help."

Yugi hesitantly took his majesty's hand and squeezed it. Suddenly, he felt much better, much clearer and he smiled a thankful smile as he was pulled up to his feet. "Uhm…thanks…."

There was a shuffle of cloth and then the soft _cling!_ of metal upon metal fell to the ground. Both Atemu and Yugi jerked their heads to the sound. He nearly forgot about those golden puzzle pieces and he felt embarrassed when his majesty crouched down to inspect them.

"Uhm…I'm sorry…. That's…that's…that's what I was looking for when," Yugi gulped, "I left the camp." He whispered, fumbling with his fingers.

Atemu squinted his eyes. The moon must be playing tricks with him because those small bits of metal weren't gold and they weren't shining like stars. "Where did you find this, Yugi?" he asked as he picked up a piece and examined it. It was cool at the first touch but the quickly warmed in his cold fingers, as if it had a life of its own.

"Uh…just here. In the forest. Merlin and I found them." Yugi felt more and more uncomfortable about the subject as he spoke, "A-Atemu, I'm sorry. It must seem very stupid of me to chase those things when I should've been back at the camp but…but…it was a puzzle!" He wailed, "And I _love_ puzzles so I couldn't resist! I'm sorry! I really am!"

"No, no. Don't be." Atemu picked up the pieces and covered them with his hands. One by one, they pulsed in warmth. "You did well, Yugi. This," he showed one to Yugi, "is part of a _very_ important item. All of these are parts of the millennium puzzle."

Yugi stared dumbly at the king. He blinked. "What?"

* * *

_**Munin:** Norse mythology. One of Odin's ravens whom he sent each day to the world to gather knowledge. Means "memory". Name of the village in this story._

- - -

Argh, why do I have to make such good angst??? Why couldn't they have kissed in a happy place with rainbows and butterflies??? Ignore the frustrated author.

So yeah, the falcons' names are Merlin and Morgan. Yes, King Arthur's yet again though I hadn't named them according solely to the story. You see, there's this species of falcons called the Merlin falcons. They have blue feathers with spotted white breasts though they're small for falcons. I used to draw them a lot when I was a kid :) Morgan because, well, _Merlin_.

Btw, I sketched Yugi in his beast master costume :) It's not very refined (I'm still not sure if I'll color it) but I'd like you to get an idea of what Yugi looks like in his costume. I've drawn Ryou and Malik but I'm having trouble with Jou's proportions. I'm just being OC. Anyway, if you wanna see it here's the link:

**http://www.deviantart .com/deviation/39669670/** (remove the space after deviantart please)

Thanks to: **Baka Shojo**, **frogger666**, **Black-Dranzer-1119**, **tai'sgirl23**, **spidy007**, **KagomeGirl021**, **biacebaolck**, **Qwest**, **DarkNileStallion**, **Annuket**, **silverwolf407**, **Ravel**, **Kiwee** and **Kyo lover with little sanity**

Thank you all for waiting after my long and punch-worthy slump.**  
**


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